Everybody Needs Some Help Sometimes
by Mouko
Summary: When a successful Maverick attack sends the Hunters scurrying with X wounded and headquarters in pieces, Dr. Cain must resort to desperate measures in order to stop the new assault.
1. And The Walls Came ATumbling Down

Warning: Arrrghh... x.x Say hello to my very first fanfic, EVER. ... Please don't laugh, it's over four years old! I guess I'll post each chapter periodically to give you all a chance to MOCK me for how old it is. ;_; 

Chapter 1: And The Walls Came A-Tumbling Down 

Mega Man X didn't know what was going on. One moment he was walking down the hall to the Maverick Hunter's Headquarters, the next he's running down the hall at top speed being chased by Mavericks. 

" How did they get in!?" he demanded. He quickly blasted behind him, striking Wheel Gator in the chest. He quickly turned the corner. Ahead of him, a green and orange robot was battling Flame Stag. " Chip!" X cried. The robot ducked Flame Stag's attack and followed X. X was a far more experienced Hunter ( not to mention Chip's idol) and Chip knew better than to argue. He followed X down the hall, the Mavericks close behind him. 

" We're going to go protect Dr. Cain?" Chip asked. X smiled. He was fond of Chip. He was far more intelligent than the other rookies and was far more chivalrous. He would always put human life above his own and his programing. Chip was doing his very best to keep up with X, which was rather hard to do. 

" Yes, we must protect Dr. Cain. You go find him. I'll distract them!" X said as he skidded to a stop. Chip gazed back at him. 

" You can count on me!" Chip said as he ran as fast as he could. X watched him go, then charged up his blaster. He watched as Flame Stag dashed around the corner. Before Flame Stag could react, X blasted him full in the face. Flame Stag flew backwards, crashing into Chill Penguin. X turned and ran for the lab. 

" That should have bought Chip some time...," X thought. He smiled as he heard Flame Stag and Chill Penguin curse after him. X ran down the halls helping Maverick Hunters deal with the intruders. He found Chip in the lab valiantly defending Dr. Cain. Spark Mandrill was blasting Chip and didn't notice X. X leaped up and smashed Spark Mandrill in the back of the head. Then, he flipped the Maverick out the door. X noticed that the Hunters were far outnumbered. All the Mavericks from previous battles were there. It seemed as not one Maverick was left out. " Hunters! In here! QUICK!!" he yelled. All the hunters in the area ran into the lab and X slammed the door shut. He braced the door as Zero, an experienced hunter just like X, grabbed chairs and desks and stacked them against the door. Breathing heavily, X looked at the Hunters. " Is everyone here?" he asked. 

" I'm not sure..., I think we're missing a few rookies..," Zero said. Chip walked up to him. 

" I know I saw Hook and Drill bite the dust! Flame Stag got to them...," he said. X nodded. 

" What I want to know is how they got in here!" X said, rubbing his chin. There was silence. X listened to the pounding of the Mavericks as they tried to break through the door. He heard a crash and whirled around. Chip yelled in surprise and anger. Vile, second-in-command Maverick, stood on the windowsill, smiling wickedly at them. X leaped forward and stood no more than five feet from him. He charged his blaster up. 

" No need to get all worked up," Vile hissed in his creepy voice. Every time X heard it, his temper grew short and his circuits boil. 

" Oh really? I suppose you have a visitor's pass?" Chip asked. X smiled a bit. Chip really had a way with words. Vile glared at Chip, who glared right back. 

" Really, X. I had expected more from a Hunter. Even a rookie," he said, cruelly. 

" What would you know about Hunters?" Chip demanded, walking up to X. 

" Sigma was one once," Vile said. 

" WAS. He ain't any more! He couldn't handle it! Don't compare Hunters to reject never-was robots like Sigma!" Chip snapped, standing tall and defiant. The Hunters cheered in agreement as they prepared to give Vile a nasty beating. Vile stood there, staring at X. X stared calmly back at him. X thought he heard a snicker come from Vile but he wasn't sure. He noticed movement from behind Vile. Suddenly, Wire Sponge leaped up and shot one of his razor vines at Chip. Before X knew what he was doing, he leaped in front of Chip to protect him. To everyone's surprise, including Vile's, X shuddered as the vine smashed through his stomach. At that moment, chaos broke loose. The Hunters leaped at Vile and Wire Sponge. X felt the vine rip out of him. Shudders ran through his body continuously as his circuits shut down. Getting weak and dizzy, X couldn't see what was happening around him. He heard yells and blasts but he saw nothing. He struggled to his feet and forced himself to focus his eyes. He could barely make out Chip battling Vile. X felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned and saw Dr. Cain, or at least some of Dr. Cain. Zero leaped over to them and picked X up. X wanted to yell out a complaint but was too weak to. Then, he passed out. 

" Give it up, Rookie! How can you expect to defeat ME?" Vile laughed as he dodged one of Chip's blasts. 

" I can try!" Chip snapped as he blasted Vile through a window. Vile landed with a THUMP on the sidewalk below. Chip didn't have time to see if Vile survived. He noticed something. " The building's going to collapse!" he cried. 

" Chip! Over here!" another Rookie yelled. Chip followed him and they escaped the building. They found all the other Hunters outside the building, standing about twenty five feet away. Zero was holding X in his arms as Dr. Cain examined him. Just then, the entire Maverick Hunter Headquarters came crashing down to the ground, destroying three other buildings. Zero stared, horrified. 

" Well, Sir, now what do we do?" a Rookie asked. 

" I haven't a clue," Zero said. 


	2. There's No Place Called Home

Warning:... Considering how utterly SHORT the first chapter was... I'll post the second one, too. x.x STOP LAUGHING. ;_; 

Chapter 2: There's No Place Called Home 

The Hunters were gathered in an abandoned building. Dr. Cain was working on X while the others stood by. Chip stared at his feet, thinking. Zero was sitting on a crate. 

" What do you think we should do now?" a Rookie asked Chip. He was a white and purple reploid. 

" If only I had been able to get to that murderous scumbag Wire Sponge! I'd show HIM what a big mistake he made!" Chip snarled. His eyes glowed blood red as he thought about X. NOBODY wounded HIS idol and got away with it! Kip stared at him. 

" Chip, we can't go out seeking revenge! Remember that the Headquarter's destroyed!" Kip scolded. 

" Well, Kip, I guess we need to look for a temporary base, until we can get the Headquarters rebuilt. How long should that take?" Chip said. 

" Well, if we help..," Kip began to calculate on his fingers. He was an extremely intelligent Rookie and Chip's best friend. He would have been a rocket scientist if he wasn't a Hunter. " It should be done in about two months. That is IF we help. If we don't, four months," he said. 

" Allright, two months' better than four...," Zero said as he stood up. Kip stared, horrified. He didn't know that Zero had heard. Zero walked over to him and patted him on the back. " Okay. Kip, you and about half of the Hunters will gather some metools and start construction on the building. Since you're so smart, you will create the designs. I want it flawless!" Zero said. Kip smiled, embarrassed. " The rest of you, I want you to start patrolling the city, looking for a temporary shelter. Also, if you see any Mavericks, try to destroy them without getting yourself destroyed. Be sneaky. I don't care how you kill them. We'll beat them at their own game!" The Hunters nodded in agreement. Kip lead half of the Hunters off to a construction site. Chip was about to follow Kip when Zero grabbed him. 

" What..? Did I do something wrong?" Chip asked. Zero shook his head. 

" No. I want you to help me. We need to move X to a safe place. I noticed that you're a pretty good Hunter. You can help me," Zero said. Chip smiled widely. 

" I'd be honored!" Chip said. He followed Zero over to Dr. Cain. Gently, Zero picked X up. Dr. Cain followed. They walked up to the roof. The remaining half of the Hunters took off. A single Rookie, a large fierce looking yellow reploid, walked up to Chip. Chip grew nervous. 

" So, you think you're better than us now, huh?" the yellow reploid asked. 

" What are you talking about, Gig?" Chip asked, surprised. 

" Zero's going to be very disappointed! He'll know he should have picked me!" the yellow reploid snapped, ignoring Chip's question. Then, he stalked off. Zero didn't hear a word of it. Chip tried his best to forget what Gig said. He ran after Zero. 

Kip was having great trouble with the building of the new Headquarters. He had the plans all laid out and everyone had to agree that the new Headquarters would be superior than the last. But, they first had to clear the rubble. And when they did, they found Mavericks that had been trapped beneath the rubble. They had to fight and destroy them AND clear the rubble. Though, they finally got the rubble cleared. Then, they began repair the foundation. One Hunter, an experience veteran, approached Kip. 

" Let me see the plans again," he said. Kip showed him the plans, nervously. Nodding, the Hunter commented on it's 'great design' and went back to work. Kip felt himself puff up with pride. Usually, he was a very shy and under confident reploid. Now that he had proven his worth, his confidence jumped. Smiling brightly, he began to help with the construction. All the Hunters worked vigorously and with extreme enthusiasm. They took the destruction of the Headquarters as an insult and refused to let it go unanswered. 

Chip had never seen so many Mavericks in his life. It seemed as though all the Mavericks had decided to attack the little group and not the construction site of the new Headquarters. X moaned slightly as Zero leaped over a blast. Zero blasted Storm Eagle then leaped over to a different building. 

" They obviously want to destroy X now before he can be fixed!" Chip exclaimed as he blasted Neon Tiger in the hindquarters. Zero, carrying X in his arms and Dr. Cain on his back, and Chip leaped over the roof tops. Roof top to roof top they jumped. Chip blasted the Mavericks that came too close to them. They raced through the city, Mavericks in hot pursuit. 

" This way! Quick!" Zero yelled to Chip as he leaped to the street below. Chip followed as best as he could. As they dodged parked cars and Maverick blasts, Zero spied a great building to hide in. He wasn't being cowardly, it was just a stupid idea to try to fight with a wounded Hunter in your arms and a human scientist on your back. He had to put their safety over his ego. He signaled Chip. " That building!!" he whispered. Chip nodded. 

" I'll distract them, you go to the building! I'll meet you there," Chip said. Before Zero could answer, Chip was up on the roof tops. He blasted the Mavericks, drawing them towards him. Angered, they chased him over the roof tops. Zero and Dr. Cain got in to the building. As they walked through, the floor boards creaked unhappily. Suddenly, without warning, the the floor beneath them and the floor above them collapsed. Zero, Dr. Cain, and X went crashing through the floor. The floor above them sealed up the hole. Dr. Cain screamed for Chip but they got no answer. Then, they disappeared in to the darkness. 


	3. Bump In The Night

Warning: More chapters! I'm glad so many people of you like it... it WAS my first fic... XD Thank you for your kind words! 

Chapter Three: Bump In The Night 

Zero shook his head. Slowly he opened his eyes and gasped. He was in a cavern, obviously deep in the ground. He looked over at Dr. Cain, who was sitting up and rubbing his head. He was battered and bruised but not much else. 

" Do you think this is a Maverick hideout?" Dr. Cain asked. Zero shrugged. He walked over to X's body and checked him. Then, seeing that X was okay, he went to explored the cavern. Dr. Cain began to work on X. An hour later, there was a large rumble and Chip landed with a 'kerthunk' right on his rear. He flinched and smiled weakly. He stood up and gazed around. He smiled at them as he dusted himself off. 

" I found you! I had lost those Mavericks. When I got into the building, I started to clear the rubble. Then, I fell through and the whole building collapsed!" Chip explained. He saw Zero and ran after him to help explore. Later, X was awake. Dr. Cain had fixed him as best as he could but even that wasn't enough. X leaned against the wall. Dr. Cain had been able to fix some of X's internal circuits but most were still badly damaged and the opening was still wide open. Dr. Cain ripped a bit of his coat and wrapped it around X, to protect X's internals. X was nowhere near out of the danger zone. He drifted in and out of consciousness. 

" Come on, Chip. We'll go check on the others. Do you think you'll be safe?" Zero said, to Dr. Cain and X. 

" Just because I'm wounded, I'm not any less a threat!" X whispered, not very convincing. Zero laughed. He and Chip leaped up the entrance. They blasted the rubble away so they could exit. Then, they covered the entrance. After they were sure it was safe, they made their way to the construction site of the new Headquarters. 

Kip was beginning to worry about Chip and Zero. It had been a day and a half since they last saw them. 

" What could they be doing?" he thought. The new Headquarters was coming along a bit faster than predicted. It had a rocky start but now construction was as smooth as ice. The other half of the Hunters had arrived and were helping. The foundation was being cemented and some Hunters were gathering materials for the frame. Kip inspected the cement and smiled at the Hunter next to him." Wait 'til those stupid Mavericks get a load of THIS!" he said. 

Chip never felt so good in his life. It was a joy to actually work with a superior officer. It made him feel more than just a Rookie. With this in mind, he leaped and jumped from building to building. 

" Well, Chip, we are almost at the new Headquarters construction site. Do you think your friend has done a good job?" Zero said. 

" Kip will do a good job, even if it kills him!" Chip answered. Zero laughed. As they approached the new building, something inside of Chip went cold. Chip stopped and gazed around. Then, he gasped and glared. He felt his blue eyes begin to glow and his teeth grit. Zero stopped to see what was wrong. Then, he saw. On a skyscraper a few feet away was Vile and Wire Sponge. They were watching them. There was no telling how long they had been there. Zero glanced at Chip. Chip was trembling with anger, his eyes blood red. His blaster was charging up. Chip was still incredibly angry about what happened to X. Zero couldn't blame him. His hero had been hurt saving him. That was a blow Chip would never forget. 

" Greetings, Zero!" Vile called. Chip all but growled. Vile and Wire Sponge leaped to the building top Zero and Chip were on. Wire Sponge took one look at Chip and knew that if a battle broke out, Chip would be at him like a dog on a bone. It was the way Chip looked at him. Obviously imagining his death. 

" Hello, scumbucket," Zero answered. Vile didn't seem riled by it. 

" What's the matter, Vile? Gave up on picking on the wounded like a vulture?" Chip hissed. Vile stared at him. 

" You mean X?" Vile asked. 

" Who'd you think I meant? Who else would you not fight in fair combat? How many OTHER reploids have you wounded then hunted like dogs? Perhaps your mother, if you HAD one? I wouldn't put it past you!" Chip snapped. Vile stared in to Chip's eyes. He saw disgust and rage but not what he wanted to see. He didn't see any fear. Vile looked back at Zero. 

" Where have you been?" Vile asked, ignoring Chip. 

" Why do you want to know?" Zero asked. Vile laughed. Then, he abruptly stopped and glared. 

" Enough of this! Were is X? Where are you hiding him?" he snarled. 

" Vulture! You're too cowardly to face him when he's well so you'll face him when he's wounded! We will never tell you!" Chip screamed. Vile whirled around, planning on dealing the smart mouth Rookie a blow across the face. Instead, HE received a punch in the stomach. Surprised, he fell backwards. Wire Sponge leaped between them, planning on defending Vile. 

" Time to pay, Maverick!" Zero snapped as he pulled out his saber. 

" Just for that blow, Rookie, YOU will die first!" Vile hissed as he pointed at Chip. Wire Sponge leaped at Chip. Chip accepted the challenge, pure glee shining in his red eyes. Zero fired at Vile. Vile leaped out of the way and returned a shot. Zero dodged the blast and rammed Vile, sending him flying across the building's roof. Vile leaped to his feet and shot three blasts at Zero. Zero managed to dodge two but was hit by the third. 

" Damn you Vile!" Zero yelled. Chip was enjoying HIS battle. He fired two shots at Wire Sponge, one high and the other low. They both crashed in to the Maverick. Wire Sponge fell face first on to the roof. Chip leaped up. Just before Chip could land on his head and crush it, Wire Sponge leaped to his feet and dashed away. He leaped to a different building. Surprised, Wire Sponge saw Chip jumping after him. They chased each other over the roof tops. Chip blasted Wire Sponge in the back, causing him to go crashing to the ground level. Then Chip leaped down after him, a grin of pure malice and delight on his face. Zero attacked Vile even more fierce than before. They fired back and forth. Vile jerked up, unable to ignore Wire Sponge's screams of pain that echoed through the city. Suddenly, Chip appeared on the roof top Vile and Zero were fighting on. In his hand was Wire Sponge's head. 

" Hey Vile! You seem to be having trouble finding good help! Seems a Rookie can defeat a Maverick Boss with great ease!" Zero mocked. Vile began to become afraid. Afraid of the Rookie that stared at him so hard. The Rookie that held Wire Sponge's head in his hand and smiled viciously. The Rookie that had death in his eye. Vile's death. 

" You seem to be a bit busy. I guess we can finish this conversation another time!" Vile said. Then, he teleported away. Chip blinked, surprised. Then, he narrowed his eyes. 

" COWARD!!!! VULTURE!!!!" Chip screamed on the top of his metallic lungs. " VULTURE!!!" Zero put his hand on Chip's shoulder. 

" Come one, Chip. Let's go," Zero said. Chip stared at Zero, rage still burning bright in his eyes. But, as he looked at Zero, the rage slowly diminished. Chip nodded. They continued on their way to the construction site. 


	4. Lions and Tigers and Who? Oh my!

Warning: ... I did NOT write long chapters back then, did I? 

Chapter Four: Lions and Tigers and.. Who? Oh my! 

Chip and Zero were getting very close to the construction site. Chip smugly juggled Wire Sponge's head in his hand as he leaped over buildings. Zero stopped and stood on a building, staring. Chip stopped next to him and looked. The were at the site. The foundation was completely finished and the reploids and metools were building the frame now. The foundation had been enlarged. The building was twice as big as before. 

" Chip! Zero! Where's X?" Kip cried as he waved. Zero and Chip leaped over to him. Kip seemed relieved. 

" X is safe," Zero said. Kip smiled. 

" Good! I was getting worried. How do you like the construction?" Kip asked. 

" It's coming fast, but, we need to hurry. Mavericks could attack at any time and we need to be ready for them," Zero said. Chip nodded. 

" I think Vile's probably gone home to get reinforcements," Chip said. 

" If he has, we'll be ready!" Kip said. Zero nodded. 

X forced himself to his feet. His stomach still hurt and according to Dr. Cain, he was still in danger of dying. X was beginning to wish the end would come and be done with it. Every step, every move, he learned a new kind of pain. He slowly walked over to Dr. Cain, who was asleep. Smiling slowly, X turned and began to do his own exploring. As he walked around, his senses began going crazy as if he was being watched. At first X ignored it, thinking that his system was acting up. But, after a few minutes, he couldn't ignore it. He cautiously looked around, in corners and crevices. Suddenly, X felt something shoot out and trip him. Falling on his back, X gave a startled cry. Dr. Cain woke up with a start and screamed. X stared, horrified. Standing over him was a tall purple, red, and blue reploid holding a huge wooden staff. He held it threateningly, with a blunt end pressed against X's throat. The reploid's green eyes shined dangerously. 

" We don't like trespassers around here! Especially Mavericks!!" he hissed. X stared, confused. 

" What are you talking about? He's no Maverick!" Dr. Cain yelled. The reploid glared at him. 

" He's not, eh?" he snarled, not in the least convinced. He pressed a bit harder with his staff, causing X to gag. " Who are you, Maverick? What are you called? Why have you come here?" the reploid snarled, jabbing X. 

" I am a Hunter! My name is Mega Man X!" X managed to say, though the reploid's staff was pressing hard against his throat. 

" Humph! You look like a Maverick to ME!" the reploid growled. 

" BO!!!" a voice screamed. The reploid whirled around. X gasped. A beautiful female reploid that had blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a pink ski-outfit ran over to them. 

" MEGA MAN!!!" the blonde reploid cried as she ran up to him. X stared, blankly. 

" Roll! Be careful!" Bo cautioned, clutching his staff. Roll peered at X. 

" Mega Man? Don't you recognize me?" she asked. X shook his head slowly. Dr. Cain walked up to them. " How can't you remember me?" Roll demanded. 

" Miss, I am afraid Mega Man X has absolutely no memory of his past. His memory only goes back to when I reactivated him when I found him in an abandoned lab!" Dr. Cain explained. Roll gasped, horrified. X peered at her. 

" Am I supposed to know you?" he asked. Roll frowned slightly. 

" Of course you are! I was an important person in your life!" Roll cried. Hot tears began to slide down her face. X's eyes widened. 

" I really am sorry but I don't remember you at all!" X said, sadly. Roll smiled at X. She hugged him and wiped away her tears. 

" He said you'd come back to us eventually...," she whispered. 

" Who ARE you? Why don't I remember you?" X asked, almost hysterical. They knew him but he didn't know them! Why did he not know them if they knew him? Why did she cry when she learned that he didn't know her? 

" I am Roll, your little sister! I don't know why you don't remember...," Roll began. She gave a startled cry when she looked at X. X had fainted. 


	5. The Reploid Who Cried OWCH!

Chapter Five: The Reploid Who Cried OWCH! 

X slowly walked down a hall with white walls, white roof, and a gray floor. It wasn't any hall he recognized but it felt very familiar. He heard voices around him. 

" Mega Man! Please! Do you remember me?" a voice called. It was that girl, Roll. He looked about him but found no one. Shrugging, he continued down the endless hallway. 

" Where am I going? Where am I?" he thought. " This place looks so familiar...," X whispered. 

" It should...," a voice said, from right behind him. It sounded like Dr. Light. X whirled around. No one. X continued on his way, cautiously. 

" Why should it?" X asked. 

" You were created here. You lived here before you became what you are now," the voice whispered. X did not answer immediately. He stood there, silent. He thought the idea over and over. 

" No. This is a trick. Those Mavericks are behind this. You are trying to make me believe lies!" X said. 

" Mega Man, if you remembered, you would know we are not lying," the voice answered. 

" Mega Man, why don't you remember us?" a voice demanded. 

" Who are you?" X asked. 

" I am called Proto Man. You do not remember?" the voice sounded hurt. " How could you forget, Mega Man?" the voice snapped. X had enough. 

" I am Mega Man X!" X yelled. 

" You are Mega Man!" the voices, in union, screamed at him. 

" NO!!! I AM X!!!!!" X screamed. 

X slowly regained consciousness. His eyes were still closed but at least he could think. He felt so weak. What had happened to him was blank at the moment. A few minutes later, it came back to him. He had passed out. 

" I have a sister? Why did I not know this before?" he thought. He had not fainted just because of the shock of this discovery. He realized this the moment he tried to shift his weight in to a more comfortable position. Pain ran through his body like electricity. He shuddered and tried to scream in agony but the pain was so great that it silenced him. Just when he thought he was about to die, the pain stopped. X collapsed. He heard a voice, speaking to him. 

" Mega Man? Mega Man? Please! Can you hear me?" it was a female voice. Roll! She sounded as if she was crying. 

" Hey, man! Wake up! Open ya peepers!" X recognized that voice. It was Bo's. X strained desperately to open his eyes. They slowly opened. He saw Roll, Dr. Cain, Bo, and another reploid leaning over him. He didn't recognize that reploid. He wore red armor, a red helmet, black shades, and a yellow scarf around his neck. He peered intently at X. Along with the reploid there was a cat reploid, a dog reploid, and a bird reploid. The dog was VERY happy to see him. 

" Mega Man?" he asked. X moaned. 

" Don't try to move X! You'll cause yourself pain again!" Dr. Cain cautioned. X went rigid. The memory of the pain he felt would never leave him. " You over strained yourself! I told you that you were in critical condition!" Dr. Cain scolded. X managed to frown. 

" Dr. Cain, is scolding me going to do anything at all to help?" X asked. 

" No, but it makes me feel better!" Dr. Cain answered. He walked off somewhere. X wanted to turn to see where Dr. Cain had gone but was too afraid of causing himself that horrible pain again. So he paid attention to the strange reploid. 

" I am glad you've finally come! I knew you would!" the strange reploid said, his voice full of joy. 

" I've explained to him about your memory loss. Mega Man, don't you remember a THING?" Roll asked, her voice slightly pleading. X was about to answer when an imaged flashed in his mind. He gazed at the strange reploid again and was surprised. 

" I... I recognize you!" he gasped. " I have seen you before!" Roll looked shocked. The strange reploid stared at him. " Your name... is... Proto Man!" X cried. " That's... all I remember...," X said, as he tried his best to think. The reploid stared. 

" Yes, I am Proto Man. I am your older brother!" the reploid answered. " The dog's YOUR dog, Rush! The cat's Tango and the bird's Beat. I was hoping you'd notice that Beat doesn't look like he used to. We had him changed to look like a hawk. More streamlined..," Proto Man added, slightly sad. X stared, confused. Dr. Cain walked back up to X. 

" We haven't got the parts to fix you here..," Dr. Cain said. Then, and only then, did X realize where he was. It looked like a giant lab. X's eyes opened wide. Dr. Cain noticed it. " That hole we fell in was an entrance to a secret base. This base is full of rebels! They are against the Mavericks," he explained. X faked a smile. 

" Wonderful. Now, what was that you said about being unable to fix me?" X said. 

" They have a variety of parts, but, I can't use them on you. They aren't the same size or style. It's like trying to put a monster truck wheel on a toy wagon. I'm sorry...," Dr. Cain said. X sighed. " We will have to wait until the Headquarter's is rebuilt," Dr. Cain said. 

" We can't wait that long! Those Mavericks won't wait until it's done! They're probably regrouping right now!" X said. Dr, Cain sighed. 

" Let me check up on the damage," he said. X held still, trying not to cringe, as Dr. Cain checked out his wound. " Um, Roll, you told me that you were originally a robot without feelings. What happened?" Dr. Cain asked as he worked, trying to relieve tension. 

" I was remodeled. A friend of ours worked on us and upgraded all of us in to reploids. Our friend then began to work on other reploids. He died before he could finish...," Roll said. Dr. Cain nodded. He grabbed the cloth he had used as a bandage, washed it in a bucket of water near him, and wrapped X up again. Proto Man, who had been thinking to himself, spoke up. 

" I just thought of something, Mega Man..," Proto Man began. 

" Call me X," X said. 

" Allright, X..," Proto Man said with a sigh. " Bo, Roll, and I will take some of the rebels and go help the Hunters with their Headquarter's," Bo nodded, along with Roll. Dr. Cain seemed to be thinking. 

" Hold on. I'm going to create a reploid to come with you. Something tells me that there are probably some new Mavericks in the construction... we are going to need all the help we can get," Dr. Cain said. He walked off, with X watching. 

" Damn it! I want to help!" X snarled. 

" You haven't changed a bit, you know that?" Proto Man laughed. 

" You mean I was always like this?" X asked. Proto Man and Roll nodded. " Mind giving me a history lesson?" X asked. Just then, Dr. Cain walked back up to them. 

" Roll, you had said that you had a transformation chip somewhere," Dr. Cain said. 

" Transformation chip?" X asked. 

" Yes. It's a chip that has the ability to turn an object from one thing in to another! I could make an incredible weapon with it!" Dr. Cain said. Roll motioned in a direction and they both took off. Proto Man watched them go. 

" I have to go. I have something to do," he said, abruptly. Then, he turned and walked away. X stared after him, surprised. He looked at Bo. 

" Sorry, man. I don't know a thing about your past," Bo said. X sighed and closed his eyes. It seemed like the only sensible thing he could do. In a few minutes he was fast asleep. 

" You failed?" a voice asked. A figure surrounded in shadow sat high on a throne. It stared hard at Vile, who knelt before it. Around Vile, also kneeling, were the Mavericks that survived the attack on the Maverick Hunter's Headquarters. Vile was shaking as he stared at the figure. The X-Hunters shifted uncomfortably. 

" Not really, sir. The Maverick Hunter's Headquarter's demolished, X is seriously wounded and probably dead by now. There's no way they can fix him. They no longer have any of the equipment they need in order to fix him. He was leaking a lot of vital fluid when I last saw him. If he isn't dead yet, he's in great pain at this very moment," Vile quickly explained. The figure stared at him, silent. None of the Mavericks spoke. Wheel Gator shivered slightly when the figure looked at him. 

" Can any of you verify this? Where's Wire Sponge?" the figure asked. Wheel Gator cleared his throat. 

" X was greatly damaged, Master. Zero had to carry him because he passed out. Wire Sponge wasn't careful and was killed by a Rookie..," Wheel Gator stuttered. The Mavericks nodded in agreement. 

" Is that all you have to say?" the figure said, threateningly. Vile cringed. 

" No, Master. The new Mavericks are almost complete. Out of the seven, five are operational!" Storm Eagle cut in, quickly. 

" That is good news," the figure said. Suddenly, the door flew open. 

" Sir, you will not believe what I just found!" Dr. Doppler said as he ran into the room. The figure stared at him. " I can track X by his fluid I managed to get from Wire Sponge's vine! I am getting a signal at this very moment!" Dr. Doppler explained, very excited. The Mavericks sighed quietly with relief. Now that X could be found, their master would not get mad at them. 

" Very good Doppler! When all of the new Mavericks are operational, send them out! X, I believe, SHOULDN'T be any trouble...," the figure said as he eyed Vile. Vile squirmed. He knew what his master meant. If Vile was wrong about X's condition, his life would end. In a painful way. Vile held his breath, crossed his fingers behind his back, and prayed. 


	6. Zero's MET His Match!

Chapter Six: Zero's MET His Match! 

X ran through the hall, the very same hall he had been in before. He was being chased by an unseen enemy. Panting heavily, X peered back. To his surprise, there stood a short old man with a gray mustache and hair. He stood there, smiling evilly. X stopped running. 

" Who are you?" X demanded. The old man stared. 

" You do not recognize me? Your greatest foe from the past? I am so glad I made such a lasting impression!" The old man said, slightly annoyed. 

" Sorry to disappoint you! Now, who are you?" X snapped. 

" Think, Mega Man," the man said. 

" My NAME is Mega Man X!" X snapped. 

" Is it? Are you sure? How can you be positive? Could it be that the name you have gone by for so long is nothing more than a lie? That all this time, you have been something that really doesn't exist?" the old man asked. 

" YOU are the one who doesn't exist!" X hissed. 

" Oh but I do! You see, I know my REAL name! You used to, too. I am Dr. Wily! Does the name ring a bell?" the old man laughed. 

" Dr. Wily?" X whispered, unsure of the name. Suddenly voices around him began to chant the name. 

" Dr. Wily.....," 

" Dr. Wily.....," 

" X! Wake up!" someone yelled. X was rudely awaken as he felt someone slap his face over and over. Except, he didn't mind it that much. At least he wasn't dreaming any more. X groggily opened his eyes. Bo stood over him. 

" X! It's time to meet the new reploid!" Bo said, smiling. X snorted. 

" My replacement?" X asked. 

" If you wish to think of me as it," a voice said. The voice was full of sarcasm. X stared at the reploid. It was light gray and white. What caught X's eye was the brown wolf tail and ears the reploid possessed. The reploid stared at him, confidently, with his shining green eyes. 

" Who are YOU?" X asked, surprised. 

" I am Met. NOT after those stupid Metools, mind you. It's short for Metamorphosis. Which is something I can do!" the reploid said. He leaped in the air and, with a bright flash, transformed into a huge wolf. He was very lifelike. It was impossible to tell that he was really a reploid. " You see? Am I not wonderful?" Met asked, not in the least bit humble. 

" How.... who...?" X began. 

" Dr. Cain built me, DUH! Did you forget everything when you were in 'lala land'?" Met said. 

" Actually, I was remembering stuff...," X whispered. Met's ears pricked up. He remained silent. Dr. Cain walked in. Roll was with him. 

" I see you are introduced! Again! You knew Met way back when, X...," Roll said. X jerked. " Met's old body was destroyed. Dr. Cain built him a new one! I only hope...," Roll added. She appeared to want to say more but she didn't. Met smiled widely. 

" We need to head for the Headquarters. Bo, will you stay here with X? I don't think it's a good idea to drag a wounded Hunter around the streets. Especially when there are Mavericks hunting for him..," Dr. Cain said. 

" I'm moving X to the Guest Section. This whole base is under a huge cavern that lies beneath the city. The cavern is pretty big. The base occupies this section," Bo said as he pointed at a map on the wall. " The Guest Section is over here. We have a special projector that makes a wall appear between the base and the Guest Section. In case the base is attacked, they won't find the Guest Section and vise versa," Bo added as he pointed at the opposite side of the cavern. " It's far from the actual base, so it's quiet and peaceful, and there's an underground river a little ways down! The river flows down the cavern. Then the cavern opens up. Concealing the entrance is a waterfall in the forest outside of the city. It's absolutely gorgeous! He'll be able to rest up very well!" Bo said. He walked over and picked up X. 

" What do you think you are DOING?" X demanded. " I can walk! I am not a child! PUT ME DOWN!!!" X screamed as Bo carried him. Roll laughed as she heard X scream insults and threats at Bo. Then, she turned to Dr. Cain. 

" I just thought of something. Where's Proto Man?" she asked. 

" YEOW!!!" Proto Man cried as he was shot in the rear. Behind him, a squad of fifteen Hunters chased after him. Leading them was Zero. 

" Maverick scum! What have you done to X?" Zero yelled as he shot at Proto Man. Proto Man leaped and dodged the blasts, cursing. 

" You stupid old mule! I am not a Maverick!" Proto Man snapped. 

" I think you are!" Zero snapped. Proto Man leaped down to the street below. He hid behind a car and waited. Zero and his squad looked around for him. Proto Man quietly slid down a manhole that was under the car. He then ran down the sewer. Suddenly, the street above him collapsed and there stood Zero, smiling. " Got you!" he hissed. 

" Oh yeah? Well, get THIS!" Proto Man yelled as he blasted Zero in the face. Zero flew backwards. Proto Man continued to run down the sewer. He heard the Hunters right behind him. He jumped up another manhole, and ran on the street. He jerked to a stop. Before him was Dr. Cain, Roll, and the new reploid Met. Zero burst up the manhole behind Proto Man. Proto Man ran and hid behind Dr. Cain, who was completely surprised. 

" What's going on?" Dr. Cain asked. 

" That freaky Hunter's trying to kill me!" Proto Man said as he pointed at Zero. Zero crouched. 

" Don't worry, Dr. Cain, we have that Maverick surrounded!" Zero said. The squad made a circle around Dr. Cain and Proto Man. " Release the hostage, Maverick! There's no escape!" Zero yelled at Proto Man. Proto Man stared, stupefied and frightened. All the Hunters aimed at him. Met growled. 

" He's gone Maverick! Can I kill him?" Met hissed as he pointed at Zero. 

" What are you talking about? He's no Maverick!" Dr. Cain scolded Met. " And Proto Man is no Maverick either!" Dr. Cain yelled at Zero. Roll stepped forward. 

" He's my brother! What do you think you are doing?" she yelled at Zero. Dr. Cain began to walk towards Zero. Proto Man scurried behind him, watching Zero. 

" Put your cannon up! NOW!" Dr. Cain said. 

" Not until he releases you!" Zero said. 

" He's not a Maverick!" Dr. Cain said. 

" He wouldn't listen to me!" Proto Man said as he glared at Zero. Zero pointed his blaster at Proto Man's head. Met suddenly leaped up, in wolf form, and knocked Zero down. 

" The doctor said to put the cannon up! I suggest you do it!" Met growled, his wolf fangs glistening. Zero obeyed. Then, Met let him up. 

" What has gotten into you?" Dr. Cain demanded. Zero brushed himself off. 

" We caught that Maverick...," Zero began. 

" He is not a Maverick!" Roll snapped. 

" He claimed to be X's brother!" Zero yelled. The Hunters around him muttered in agreement. 

" So? It's true! I'm X's sister!" Roll snapped, hands on her hips. 

" It's true!" Dr. Cain assured them. Zero stared, surprised. The Hunters gasped, then stared at each other, sheepishly. 

" He was telling the truth?" Zero asked as he pointed at Proto Man. Proto Man glared coldly. 

" YES!!" Proto Man snapped. 

" Well, he should have said so," Zero snapped. 

" I DID!!" Proto Man screamed. " But you refused to listen! You just blasted at me!" Zero remained silent. Proto Man continued fuming for about ten minutes. He told Zero exactly what he thought of him. Finally, Zero had enough. He began telling Proto Man what HE thought of HIM. This led to more fuming. Met, unwilling to be left out, instantly broke in and told both of them what HE thought of THEM. Met completely blew Zero and Proto Man away. When it seemed that Met had run out, he came back with a fresh batch of insults. Finally, he stopped. 

" Did he run out?" Roll whispered. 

" I didn't. I just thought that THEY were more important," Met said as he pointed at a roof top. Everyone gazed up. There, on the roof top, were Mavericks. Flame Mammoth, Toxic Sea Horse, Chill Penguin, and Spark Mandrill to name a few. Vile was also there. 

" Zero! So nice to run in to you! Perhaps you are ready to tell where X is now? Or do we have to kill you?" Vile said. 

" Go sit on a tack you horrible facsimile of a famous purple dinosaur!" Proto Man snapped. Vile motioned to Flame Mammoth, who leaped to the ground, causing an earthquake when he landed. 

" Whoa! No hope in Weight Watchers!" Met exclaimed. Flame Mammoth trumpeted loudly. " Am I supposed to be frightened?" Met asked. " You couldn't even frighten a grandma! THIS is how you do it!" Met snapped. Suddenly, he tilted his head back and howled a hideous howl. The buildings shook violently. All the reploids, Maverick and Hunter alike, fell backwards yelling in pain. Dr. Cain shuttered. Windows cracked and walls collapsed. Finally, Met stopped. He smiled viciously at Flame Mammoth. " Care to try again?" Met asked, sweetly. Flame Mammoth stepped backwards. " You ain't goin' anywhere!" Met snapped as he leaped at Flame Mammoth. Flame Mammoth turned and ran as fast as he could, which wasn't very fast considering that he was a huge reploid elephant. Met easily caught him. Zero leaped up the building, followed by the squad of Hunters. Proto Man remained with Dr. Cain and Roll, to protect them. The Hunters blasted the Mavericks. Zero fought with Vile. 

" Did you not say we would finish this later? Well, seems 'later' was sooner than you thought!" Zero snapped as he shot at Vile. Vile jumped and returned fire. Bubble Crab leaped up and grabbed Zero, who turned and began to fight with him. Vile jumped to the streets below, planning on killing Dr. Cain. 

" Move, you run down worthless piece of hardware!" Vile hissed when Proto Man aimed at him. 

" WORTHLESS? I am hardly THAT..," Proto Man laughed as he blasted Vile. Vile flew backwards, surprised. He landed roughly, after being bashed painfully against a building. Proto Man smiled as he stood before Dr. Cain. " You shouldn't be so quick to taunt your ELDERS, Maverick," Proto Man scoffed. Vile forced himself to his feet, watching Proto Man intently. 

" You seem proud of being old!" Vile said as he slowly circled Proto Man. 

" I am! Old means EXPERIENCED," Proto Man hissed as he aimed at Vile's head. Proto Man suddenly whirled and blasted a Maverick, Chill Penguin, who had been trying to sneak up on Dr. Cain. Chill Penguin fell down, destroyed. Proto Man then quickly did a back flip and bashed Vile across the face with his cannon. Vile crashed backwards into a car. " I am too experienced to fall for THAT!!!" Proto Man taunted. Vile painfully stood up. He forced a laugh. 

" Perhaps you are right about that. But, old can also mean run down!" Vile snarled. He charged Proto Man, who stood his ground. 


	7. Bad Boy, Bad Boy! Whatcha Gonna Do? What...

Warning: Why do I call this a warning when I'm not warning...? Eh... oh well! :P Sorry for taking so long... x.x;;; Here's some more chapters! 

Chapter Seven: Bad Boy, Bad Boy! Whatcha Gonna Do? Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You? 

X's eyes jerked open. He knew he had heard something. He hadn't been sleeping, only thinking. But, his thinking had stopped the moment he had heard the sound. The sound of foot steps. X forced himself to his feet, ignoring the gnawing pain in his stomach. He gazed about the small room he was in. It had a bed, dresser with a mirror, and a few other luxuries. X slowly walked to the door to his room. Outside, he found nothing. He heard the sound of the underground river as it made it's way to the outside world. The sound was rather soothing to X. X looked about him, still a bit unnerved. His small room was quite a ways from the base, in a far corner of the cavern, so it was very quiet. 

" Perhaps that is what is bothering me," X thought. " I am not used to so much quiet," X looked at his stomach. He saw the bit of cloth wrapped around it. The cloth was stained with oil and X felt queasy when he looked at it. " I wonder where Bo is..," X mumbled. Then it hit him like a brick. Where WAS Bo? He had been standing outside the door only a few minutes ago. X felt his uneasiness turn to panic. " Something's wrong! I know it is!" he thought. He glanced around and began to look for Bo. His stomach was forgotten. As he walked, he felt himself shiver. Something was watching. X began to walk quickly down to the river. Whatever it was, it couldn't be friendly. If it was, it wouldn't be hiding. X grew surprised when he made it to the river without incident. X silently scolded himself for panicking. He walked to the river bank and peered in. Something looked back up at him. X practically jumped backwards, giving a startled cry. He fell backwards and gasped in pain as his stomach was jolted. He slowly peered back in to the water. Whatever was there before was gone now. X crawled away from the water. X glanced at his wound, making sure the fall didn't do any serious damage. 

" What are you doing out here?" someone asked. X jumped up. He whirled around, expecting the worse. Instead of the worst, he found Bo. X sighed in relief. 

" Where did you go? I was sure I heard something! I saw something looking at me from in the water!" X said as he pointed at the river. Bo looked at the water, then at him. 

" Are you sure you weren't delirious?" Bo asked. 

" No, I'm not sure," X admitted. 

" It might be something, it might not," Bo said. 

" Don't patronize me!" X snapped. Bo smiled. But the smile quickly turned to a frown. He seemed to be staring hard at something. X followed his gaze. X gave a startled cry. A few feet off was none other than Agile, smiling widely. Behind him was Serges and Violen. Both looked very smug. " Agile! Serges! Violen!" X gasped. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach. The pain was returning. Bo peered at him. 

" Friends of yours?" Bo hissed. X couldn't answer because the pain was beginning to become unbearable. He gritted his teeth and backed away. " Greetings! Am I right to assume you are friends of Mega Man X?" Bo asked, calmly. The X-Hunters smiled at each other. 

" You could say that. Do you mind if we chat with our 'friend' for a minute?" Agile said. X cringed. Bo began to walk up to the X-Hunters. X tried to yell out a warning but the pain prevented it. He stared at the X-Hunters, horrified. Bo wasn't very far from them now. 

" X doesn't seem very happy to see you!" Bo pointed out. 

" I can't imagine why!" Violen giggled. X tried to walk over to Bo, to get him away from the X-Hunters, but stopped when the pain shot through him. 

" I can," Bo said. He looked at X. " You aren't his friends!" Bo snarled. Agile frowned. " You're here to kill him!" Bo snapped. " Why else would you bring MAVERICKS?" Bo transformed his arm into a cannon and shot across the cavern. From behind a rock, a huge lion Maverick with a mane of flame leaped out of the way of the blast. Bo then whirled around and knocked Agile over with his staff. He held it, threateningly. 

" Fool! You should have stayed out of this! Now you'll have to die!" Serges hissed. Bo laughed. 

" Easier said than done!" he mocked. Agile, who was still on the ground, smiled up at Bo. 

" I think we will find it very easy to do!" he laughed. Quickly, he tripped Bo and leaped to his feet. Agile grabbed his saber and tried to bring it down on Bo. Bo's staff met Agile's sword. Bo got to his feet, his staff still locked with Agile's sword. X crouched as Serges and Violen approached him. The lion Maverick slowly approached as well. Behind a rock, to X's surprise, Bit and Byte leaped forward. To X's even greater surprise, five other Mavericks appeared. There was a cheetah wearing neon green and black armor, twin Siamese cats wearing blue and red armor, a cobra wearing gray and black, and a weird flying unicorn wearing blue, silver, and white. X couldn't help but notice that the cheetah had a walkman and headphones and was wearing rollerblades. Another Maverick, a blue water dragon wearing light blue and gray armor, leaped out of the river. 

" All this for little old me? I'm touched!" X laughed. 

" Our boss wasn't sure if you were really as bad off as Vile claimed. Vile was correct! You're weak as a kitten!" the flying unicorn laughed. 

" I can still blast your heads off!" X screamed. 

" Ahh, X! Brave to the very end," Bit taunted. 

" The very end!" Byte echoed. 

" The end hasn't come yet!" X snapped. 

" Yes, it has!" Serges growled as he leaped at X. Even though X was wounded, he easily evaded Serges. A fact the other Mavericks couldn't help but rub in. 

" What's the matter, dude? Can't the big bad X-Hunter catch a wounded X?" the cheetah called. 

" Aaaw, don't be mean! X is very tough! Even if he IS missing his stomach!" Bit laughed. Serges huffed and puffed. X quietly stood where he was, completely surrounded. There was nowhere he could go, he noted grimly. The Mavericks continued to mock Serges. Suddenly, Agile leaped in to the circle and made a grab for X. X fell backwards as he tried to evade Agile. 

" IDIOTS! Let's get out of here!" Agile yelled at the Mavericks around him as he grabbed X's arm. Bo leaped up and slammed Agile in the face with his staff. 

" Can't escape me THAT easily!" Bo growled. Before X could gather his thoughts, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him. One around the chest, the other his stomach. X screamed in pain as the arms squeezed. Thankfully, the arm around his stomach loosened instantly. He felt himself lift high in the air. He gazed up to see who had him. It was the flying unicorn. X wanted to struggle but when the unicorn had squeezed, it had caused X's pain to multiply. It wasn't as bad as it was earlier but it was still bad. X felt very dizzy. Suddenly, everything went black. 

Zero, who had been blasting Mavericks on the roof tops, jumped down to check on Dr. Cain. He found Met, in wolf form, chewing on Flame Mammoth. 

" Tastes just like chicken!" Met assured Zero. Zero gagged. Met leaped away from the body and transformed back to his reploid form. They then both ran to check on Dr. Cain. When they got to him, they found Proto Man battling Vile. Met, out of the corner of his eye, saw Spark Mandrill sneaking up on them. Met whirled around and sunk his fangs into Spark Mandrill's hand. Spark Mandrill screamed. It was a weird sight. Met, in reploid form, with his teeth sunk in Spark Mandrill's hand. Then, Met turned into a wolf and leaped at Spark Mandrill's face. His teeth sunk deep into Spark Mandrill's neck. Met's claws racked Spark Mandrill's armor as he slashed at him. Zero was too stunned at Met's brutality to do anything. He just stood there, staring. Suddenly, one of Spark Mandrill's legs flew at him. Zero leaped out of the way to avoid being hit. Met leaped away from the body and bared his teeth. In his mouth was Spark Mandrill's arm. Spark Mandrill was in pieces, scattered all over the street. Vile and Proto Man had stopped fighting and had seen Met rip up the Maverick. Proto Man shook his head grimly. He knew Met. Had known him before he had been destroyed. Vile, on the other had, stood absolutely still. He was frightened out of his wits. Met had destroyed Spark Mandrill's armor as if it was nothing more than paper. Met turned and stared at Vile. His eyes narrowed dangerously. All the Mavericks stood still, not making a sound. All of them had seen Spark Mandrill's slaughter. Met spit out Spark Mandrill's arm and slowly began to walk towards Vile. Vile was glued to his place, frozen in fear. Just when Met was close enough to leap, Storm Eagle flew down and grabbed Vile, pulling him to safety. Met hissed and snapped at Storm Eagle's feet. The Mavericks stared at Met, who growled viciously at them. 

" You had a close shave, Vile! Seems you failed!" Zero laughed. 

" Shows how much YOU know! This is exactly what we planned!" Vile laughed. 

" I always thought when someone fought, they planned on winning. But, hey, if you WANT to lose then who am I to disagree?" Met laughed. All the Hunters giggled. Vile stared, angry. 

" This was a DIVERSION!!" Vile yelled. 

" Of course! I understand! You were bored and absolutely had to get out of the house! Losing and making yourself look stupid is much more fun than playing Monopoly! Great way to pass the time!" Met said. The Hunters laughed loudly. 

" We were sent to delay you! At this moment, X is probably in our fortress! We found a way to track him! We sent our new Mavericks out to retrieve him while we stalled you! What do you have to say to that?" Vile yelled. The Mavericks laughed. The Hunters stared at each other. How could Met make a come-back to that? 

" I'd say you are a stupid donkey to brag about it! Because, I now know of it! If X is in your fortress, then I'll just get him out!" Met said, smugly. " I'll just sneak in at night and rip your throat out! Think I can't? Take a look at your pal!" Met said as he pointed at Spark Mandrill. Or at least what was left of him. " And furthermore, I think you all are....," curse words poured out of Met's mouth. Every Maverick reared backwards as they heard him. Vile must have turned bright red under his helmet. The Hunters didn't know whether to cheer Met on or scold him for his terrible language. When Met was done, he smiled viciously and winked. " Have I made myself clear?" he asked, sweetly. 

" Yes. Perfectly," Vile managed to say. " But you should know that, next time we meet, I will destroy you!" he added. Then, he and the Mavericks quickly teleported away. Met snorted. 

" Talk about cheezy lines!" he said, not in the least bit upset. The Hunters gazed at him, expectantly. He turned to them. " I'm going to find their fortress," Met said. Zero and Proto Man stared at each other. Met turned to walk off. Proto Man tried to follow. Met whirled around. " Wrong! You are needed at the Maverick Hunter's Headquarters!" Met growled. 

" If X is in trouble, I want to help!" Proto Man protested. Zero walked up to him. 

" I want to go too! X is a good friend of mine!" Zero said. Met stared at them. 

" Fine," Met sighed. Chip, who was among the Hunters in the squad, approached. 

" May I go too, sir?" he asked. Zero peered at Met and Proto Man. 

" I guess he can come, IF he can take care of himself!" Met said. 

" Yes sir! I can!" Chip said. Met snorted. Gig, who was also among the group, frowned and growled to himself. 

" Hunters, back to base!" Zero commanded. The squad of Hunters lead Dr. Cain and Roll on their way to the Headquarters construction site. Met watched them go. 

" How do you plan on finding them?" Proto Man asked. 

" I have a great sense of smell. I know X's scent by heart! I'll just follow him!" Met said. " He's too wounded to teleport so they'd have to travel by foot, water, or air to get to the fortress! I can track them down easily!" Met added with a laugh. 

" Man are those Mavericks dumb!" Proto Man giggled. " It's so obvious!" Zero smiled. 

" Let's go!" he said, smiling viciously. The group disappeared in to the shadows. 


	8. Memories

Chapter Eight: Memories... ... 

" Mega Man! Can you hear me?" someone called. X jumped, startled. Then, he moaned. He was in that hallway again! X looked around for whoever it was that was going to torture him THIS time. To his surprise, he found Dr. Light staring at him. 

" Dr. Light?" X asked. 

" Yes, Mega Man," Dr. Light said as he nodded. 

" Why do you people insist on calling me that? I am Mega Man X!" X growled. Dr. Light sighed. 

" I will call you that if you wish," he said. 

" Thank you," X said, relieved. Dr. Light walked up to him. 

" X, something is about to happen. Not immediately, but it's about to. I'm not sure what it is but I have a feeling it won't be a nice experience! X... there's a chip I need to tell you about...," Dr. Light said. X didn't seem to hear this. He regarded Dr. Light. 

" Yeah yeah, later! When will this nasty experience happen?" X asked. 

" I am not entirely sure. At any time," Dr. Light said. 

" I'll be ready!" X said, determined. Dr. Light smiled. 

" Be careful Mega Man X," he said. Then, he disappeared. X stood where he was, silent for a while. Lost in thought, he didn't see the weird figure approaching him. 

" Mega Man," the figure said, scornfully. X whirled around, very angry. 

" I AM MEGA MAN X!!!" he screamed at the figure, completely losing his temper. The figure jumped back, surprised. X glared at the figure. It was a reploid wearing black armor. Next to him was a huge robot dog. " Who are you?" X asked, angry. The reploid laughed. 

" I am Bass! This is my dog, Treble! Well, Mega Man... X!" Bass added the X part very quickly. " I'm surprised that you don't remember us! We did, after all, steal the very upgrades intended for you and Rush!" he said. X narrowed his eyes slightly. 

" Get lost. I don't feel like talking to you!" he growled. Bass smiled. 

" You can't get away from me! I'm in your head!" Bass giggled. X narrowed his eyes even more. A small smile spread across his face. 

" Then why don't I just blast you to itty bitty pieces?" he asked. 

" Because I will just come back! I am a ghost, in a way. You can't kill me! Your mind will just recreate me!" Bass laughed. X snarled. 

" I can at least have the satisfaction of seeing you blow up!" he yelled. He charged up his arm cannon and blasted Bass. Bass exploded. Treble merely looked at him. X walked away, in a huff. The hall became foggy. X found that he could no longer see where he was going. He stopped walking and gazed about. Suddenly, a sharp pain ran through his stomach. X doubled over. Everything seemed to disappear. Into blackness. 

X slowly regained consciousness. His eyes were still shut. He didn't have the strength to open them. He heard voices. 

" He looks pretty bad," one voice said. 

" He won't last long in his condition," another said. 

" Is that BAD?" another snapped. 

" It is when I haven't had the chance to access his memory core!" the second voice hissed. Memory core! X felt his heart miss a beat. 

" That's bad," the first voice agreed. X suddenly felt himself grow tired. He had wasted all the energy he had just waking up. 

" Damn! I need to stay awake!" he thought. But, after a few minutes, the thought of sleep became very inviting. Before X could do anything about it, he was again unconscious. 

" Have you found a scent yet, Met?" Zero asked as they gazed about the cavern. They had returned to the base and had found Bo, who was VERY angry. 

" I should have known! I was so busy fighting that Agile guy I didn't even notice!" he growled. " I can't believe I failed him like that!" 

" You didn't fail!" Proto Man cried. 

" You fought bravely to defend him! What could you have done against twelve Mavericks?" Zero agreed. 

" A lot more than I did!" Bo hissed. 

" You'll have your turn for revenge!" Met said. They looked at him. " I found the scent! They took to the air!" Met said. The others smiled. Met stiffened up and seemed to be listening. He glanced off a bit then returned his gaze to the group. 

" Let's go get them!" Bo growled, his eyes burning red. The four of them took off, Met in wolf form sniffing the way. They came to the opening. The water made the view slightly contorted, but they could see that outside was a huge forest of pines, elms, and maple trees. Met leaped, right through the waterfall, and landed on the bank of the river below. Zero, Proto man, and Bo followed him. Sniffing the air, Met immediately took off running. They dashed through the forest, Met never slowing down. He hopped up cliffs, leaped over rivers, and dashed through trees. Finally he stopped at the edge of a high cliff and peered back. He stiffened again. He thought he saw someone following. Met narrowed his eyes. Then, he dismissed it. He gave Zero, Proto Man, Chip, and Bo the chance to catch up. Zero peered down at him. 

" We're heeeere!" Met sang. Proto Man glanced down and gasped, startled. Far below them, on a lower cliff, was a giant castle. One of the old kinds you read about in books about knights, wizards, and princesses. Zero noticed immediately the huge generator in the far corner of the courtyard. 

" The place must be crawling with Mavericks and weapons! From the size of the generator, I'd say they have every type of machinery available! Lasers, sensors, probably even a high tech computer! All hidden in the disguise of a beat up castle!" Zero exclaimed. Bo snorted. 

" I'm not backing down! No fancy Maverick trash is going to scare US away!" he growled. Zero, Chip, and Proto Man nodded in agreement. Met barked quickly, in warning. Zero, Proto Man, Chip, Met, and Bo hid instantly. Only a few seconds later, two Mavericks approached. Flame Stag and Wheel Gator. 

" Isn't it pretty out here? Green trees, wild animals," Wheel Gator said. Flame Stag snorted. 

" So what? Let's go! I'm missin' Price Is Right!" Flame Stag said. He and Wheel Gator headed for the castle. Zero signaled Met to follow. Met looked very rebellious. Slowly, he nodded and snuck after the Mavericks. He quietly approached the castle, sneaking along slowly. Suddenly, he bumped something and alarms when off. 

" DAMN! A force field!" he thought. Zero, Proto Man, Chip, and Bo were thinking the same thing. Met dashed off. Wheel Gator turned to see him running. 

" A wolf was following us! How cute!" he said. Flame Stag snorted as he turned off the alarm. Other Mavericks rushed out but he waved them off. 

" It was just some stupid wild animal wandering too close!" he said, annoyed. The Mavericks sighed with relief. Then, they all entered the castle. Met walked up to Zero, Proto Man, Chip, and Bo. 

" NOW how do we get in?" Zero whispered. Met smiled. 

" At night, when no one can see, I tunnel in! See over there? That's loose dirt! I'll bet that force field doesn't go down in to the ground!" Met laughed. The Hunters nodded. The plan was simple and very risky but they didn't have any other choices. 

" I hope X is okay," Proto Man said. 

X wasn't okay. He ran through that very same hallway, chased by Bass. Bass had already been destroyed five times but he kept on coming back. Finally, X resorted to running. 

" Mega Man X! Why do you run from me?" Bass called, smiling. X ran faster. 

" Go away! Just leave me alone!" X yelled. 

" Where's the fun in that?" Bass laughed. They ran down the hall, which indeed was endless. X zipped and zagged but Bass followed him. " You can't escape me!" Bass called. 

" I can if I wake up!" X screamed. " WAKE UP!!!" 

X slowly regained consciousness. It was dark. At first he thought all the lights were off but he then realized his eyes were closed. He laid there, not wanting to move. Then, he felt his leg fall asleep. Not only that, but his neck was stiff and he was in a very uncomfortable position. So he shifted. BIG mistake. Pain, enormous pain, shot through him from his stomach. He tried to scream but nothing would come out. He squirmed in agony. He heard voices, but he paid no attention to them. He shuddered and desperately tried to scream. The pain silenced him like a gag. He felt strong hands grab him, hold him down. X desperately tried to make the hands let go, as if they were the cause of his pain. He heard someone yelling, calling for someone. X didn't care. He kicked and squirmed. He tried to scream again. Nothing. He heard footsteps. Whoever it was the voice had called was there. He felt the hands push him down even more forcefully. He struggled desperately. He felt something stick in to his arm. The pain intensified. Finally, X managed to scream. He screamed loudly, jerking. The hands held him, though whoever it was was having a difficult time. Suddenly, a numbing sensation began to occur. X stopped screaming and began to breathe heavily. His systems calmed down as his entire body began to go numb. He realized slowly that whoever it was had used a nullifier, a special liquid that causes a reploid to go unconscious and numb. When he wakes up, X knew he would be very calm and groggy. Another effect of the nullifier. Everything seemed to disappear. Then, to his horror and annoyance, X passed out. 


	9. In The Shadows, The Mighty Shadows

Chapter Nine: In The Shadows, The Mighty Shadows 

" Could you dig faster?" Zero asked as he cautiously peered around. Met snorted angrily. 

" Don't get your boxies all knotted up! We're almost through! Just keep an eye out!" Met growled. Then, he returned to his digging. He made absolute certain to hit Zero with the dirt. Zero shook the dirt off of his body and glared down the hole. Then he peered around. It was a half hour after sunset. Zero, Proto Man, and Chip insisted that they couldn't wait any longer. It was dark out, making the castle and forest even more forbidding than it did in the light. Proto Man was in top of a tree, watching everything. Bo was down the cliff a bit, also on guard. Chip was with Bo. Zero tensed up at every sound. Met's head popped up, startling Zero. " We're through!" he whispered, then ducked back down in to his hole. Zero motioned to Proto Man, who motioned to Bo, who came running with Chip. They snuck up to the hole and crawled in. The hole was very deep. They crawled for a while, Met right in front of them. Bo sneezed occasionally. Met signaled for silence and pointed upward. They were right below the castle. Met had dug very close. The boards that made up the floor of the castle was the roof of the tunnel. Zero peered upward. Light came through the cracks. Someone was moving up there. 

" So he was screaming?" someone said. Vile! 

" Indeed. Seems that his wound was really bothering him," another answered. Dr. Doppler. Zero frowned. They were talking about X. " I'm afraid I can't put him in the machine unless I fix him," Dr. Doppler said. The mention of a machine caused Zero to wonder. 

" YOU will be the one to tell the boss THAT," Vile sneered. 

" If you insist!" Dr. Doppler growled. 

" Why are you working for him, anyway? After you created that virus to kill Sigma?" Vile asked suddenly. Dr. Doppler laughed. 

" I have my reasons! Which are none of your business! I'm off to tell the boss!" Dr. Doppler laughed. He walked off, laughing. 

" Arrogant punk," Vile hissed. Bo felt Met bristle and could hear Zero hiss. He peered at the reploids. Met and Zero were barely containing their rage. Proto Man and Chip were no better off. Bo was the only one who could keep his cool. Bo motioned for them to move on. Met stared at him, viciously. Bo made and 'X' in the air. Met got the idea. He continued through the tunnel, allowing the others to get by. Later, they found themselves in the courtyard. The Hunters jumped behind the generator, which was almost against the wall. There was just enough room for them to hide. Zero turned to them. 

" I don't like this 'machine' thing they're planning. I'd say it's bad news for X. We need to split up. Do we each go our own ways or in pairs?" Zero whispered. 

" I can go alone. I can take care of myself! Unlike YOU...," Met snarled. Zero narrowed his eyes. The other three reploids stared at them. " After all, YOU'RE always the one gettin' killed off!" Met added, scornfully. 

" Are you suggesting that I am a weakling?" Zero hissed. 

" I don't have to! You already did!" Met snapped. Zero drew his saber. " Go ahead! Try me!" Met barked, his fangs glistening. There would have been one bitter brawl if Proto Man hadn't interrupted. 

" We don't have time for this! We'll go our separate ways. If you find X, take him to the cliff. We'll all meet up there!" Proto Man said. Then, he zipped off. Met nodded. He too then disappeared. Bo took out his staff, winked at Zero, and disappeared. Chip quickly scaled the wall and disappeared in to the towers. Zero felt the edge of his saber and disappeared in to the darkness. 

X sat in that stupid hall, not caring about anything. He was sick of the dreams, he was sick of falling asleep, he was sick of EVERYTHING. X growled to himself. Bass approached, AGAIN, and smiled. 

" Tired of running?" Bass asked. No answer. " What's wrong Mega Man?" Suddenly, X whirled around, grabbed Bass by the neck, and lifted him up into the air. 

" Call me that again, and I will kill you! I know you will come back but I swear your death will be the most painful, the most horrible, the most twisted death I can think of!" X hissed, sounding like a demon. Bass remained absolutely still, his eyes wide. X released him and he landed on the floor with a 'thump'. Bass stared at X. " Leave.... me.... ALONE!!" X growled. Bass skidded away. X then slumped back down on to the floor and waited. He knew he'd wake up so he waited for it. X snorted in irritation. A small red dog, Rush, walked up to him. X peered at him. Rush licked him on the face and flopped down next to him. Rush peered at X, lovingly. X patted him on the head. Then, they both sat and waited. " Ya know, I saw you. At the rebel base. Proto Man said you were my dog. My dog, Rush," X said, to the dog. Rush wagged his tail and licked X again. X smiled. " I wish I remembered....," X whispered. 

X's eyes slowly opened. He was sitting in a chair, strapped down. X slowly looked down at his stomach. He would have jerked at what he saw if he hadn't been so calm ( damn nullifier). The hole! It was gone! No pain what-so-ever. From his stomach, anyway. His arm was VERY sore and he felt sluggish and very calm. X looked around him. To his absolute calmness, which should have been terror, he found that he was strapped into a machine. A mind reading machine. Normally, X would have freaked. But, right then, he felt very calm and unconcerned. He didn't even care when Dr. Doppler and one of the new Mavericks walked in. It was the flying unicorn. Dr. Doppler stared at X. 

" Feeling better?" he asked, casually. 

" I feel calm. VERY calm," X said. Dr. Doppler nodded. 

" You should. Had to use a nullifier to shut you up! It was supposed to be used on your friends but we had to use it on you!" the unicorn snapped. 

" Well, is it my fault Wire Sponge trashed my stomach? Want someone to yell at, yell at Wire Sponge," X pointed out, calmly. The unicorn snorted. Dr. Doppler walked over to the controls to the machine. 

" Time to see what your memories hold," Dr. Doppler said. X glanced at the doctor. " This MAY be uncomfortable....," Dr. Doppler began. He pressed buttons and threw a switch. X jerked. His eyes grew wide with pain. Even through the nullifier effects, he could feel the pain. " Here we are! Let me see....," Dr. Doppler began to scan the information as X shuddered. " I already know all this! Let's dig farther into your past! How about your creation?" Dr. Doppler began to type. X squirmed. " What is this? A password?" Dr. Doppler asked, surprised. 

" Well, let's crack it! It must hide something important!" the unicorn exclaimed. Dr. Doppler began typing. Suddenly, electricity flew threw the computer and straight to X. X felt as though his head was going to explode. Images flooded in to his head. All sorts of information crammed and jammed into him. X jerked and struggled. Pain ripped through him. X was sure his body was being ripped apart. Just as he was about to scream, the electricity stopped. X stood absolutely still, his eyes wide with terror and shock. His breathing was labored and all his senses appeared to be down. Silence. The unicorn was unsure whether he should approach X or not. When he did, he found X's eyes glazed. X didn't see him. X didn't see anyone. X didn't care. X REMEMBERED. 


	10. Can You Feel The Hate Tonight?

Warning: Yep, more chapters! For those who don't know, I do have a sequel to ENSHS... it's called Mirages. I'll be posting it after I post all of ENSHS and the prequel, Poison of Love! 

Chapter Ten: Can You Feel The Hate Tonight? 

Met snuck through the shadows, in his wolf form, sniffing here and there. He jerked up quickly. He had heard someone scream. He ran as fast as he could. Met came to a room and found X strapped into a chair. His eyes were distant. Dr. Doppler and a unicorn reploid with wings stood near-by. Met transformed in to his normal form. 

" What have you done to him?" Met growled. Dr. Doppler whirled around. The unicorn crouched. " Are you DEAF? I said, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM??" Met screamed. 

" His entire memory core from long ago was downloaded back in to his head!" Dr. Doppler answered. Met bristled. 

" YOU did it! You forced all that information on him! You wanted to steal it! Stupid jerk! You should have known there was a security program on it that would do that! You're SUPPOSED to be a brilliant scientist!" Met hissed. Dr. Doppler looked very offended. The unicorn growled. 

" You can't talk to him like that!" he yelled. He let out a high piercing whistle and the other six new Mavericks came rushing in. 

" I can talk to him however I want, Horse-meat!" Met snapped. 

" I have a NAME," the unicorn snorted. 

" I'm sure you do! And I'm sure it's very nice name! And when I feel like it, I'll learn your name! But, at the moment, I don't care if your name is Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana-fana Bo-besca the Third!!" Met growled. 

" You'll learn it anyway! So you'll know who killed you! I am Stomp Unicorn!" the unicorn snapped. 

" The name of which I go by is Torrent Leviathan!" the blue water dragon said, very intellectually. 

" I am Pressure Cobra!" the snake reploid hissed. 

" I am Blast Cheetah, dude!" the cheetah added. He was now not only wearing his walkman and headphones but also a pair of black shades. 

" We are Circuit and Breaker!" the twin Siamese cats said in perfect union, their tails entwined. 

" I am Firestorm Lion!" the lion growled. Met snorted. Of course, the Mavericks had introduced themselves as if they were the Power Rangers. 

" I suppose you've watched your Zeo Rangers today?" Met mocked. The Mavericks flushed red. Stomp Unicorn screamed with rage and leaped at Met. Met ducked and punched Stomp Unicorn in the stomach. Stomp Unicorn rolled away, stunned. He leaped to his feet and crouched. He didn't continue to attack, though. He stood still, watching Met. Sizing him up. Met noticed that the other Mavericks were doing the same thing. Dr. Doppler was approaching X, who was still unresponsive. In Dr. Doppler's hand was a tool of some sort. Something snapped in Met. He didn't know why but, as far back as he could remember, Met had hated doctors. It didn't matter if they were trying to help him. No doctor was allowed near him. That's what caused him to do what he did next. Met bristled and growled. He slowly moved, taking care to watch the Mavericks around him. Suddenly, with a quickness no one expected, Met leaped over the Mavericks and grabbed X. He ripped X out of the chair, making certain to damage the machine. Then, he leaped out the door with X slung over his shoulder. As Met ran, he just noticed that X's stomach was fixed. Met smiled. He now knew he didn't have to take extra care not to hurt X's stomach. Met dashed up walls and through corridors. X moaned. Met skidded to a stop and ducked in to a storage room. Met set X down, who was showing signs of life. X shook his head and gazed at Met. X jerked back. 

" Met!" X laughed, very pleased. Met was thoroughly surprised. " I remember, Met! Everything! Well, almost everything.... I don't remember what had happened during that last week before I was put into the capsule," X added, quietly. Met stood absolutely still, his eyes growing dark. X opened his arms, in an invitation for a hug. Met, unsure, stared at him. After a few seconds, he quickly hugged X then released him. " That wasn't so hard!" X laughed. 

" I hate hugs!" Met growled. 

" I know. THAT'S why I wanted one!" X giggled. Met tried hard not to smile. 

" Let's go," he barked. He and X slowly snuck out of the storage room and ran. They ran as fast as they could, dodging lasers and missiles. Halfway down the hall, who should they run in to but Proto Man. 

" Met! X! You're better!" Proto Man cried. He ran and hugged X. X smiled. 

" Yeah, big bro! I'm better!" X said. Proto Man smiled even wider. Met growled. 

" Save the pleasantries! Somebody's coming! Quick! Hide!" Met whispered. X, Proto Man, and Met ducked down a hall and waited. They stood still, silent. A shadow appeared. It grew bigger and bigger as the person approached. X began to charge up a blast. Just as the person rounded the corner, X leaped out. He stopped instantly and stared. 

" X?" a voice asked. 

" Zero!" X cried. Zero ran up to him. Met and Proto Man ran out into the open. 

" You're okay!" Zero said. He examined X and whistled. " Well what do you know!" Zero said. 

" Let's get out of here!" X said. 

" Where's Chip?" Proto Man asked. 

That was a very good question. Chip hadn't run into a single Maverick. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He didn't want to be dragged into a fight, but, it bugged him that perhaps the Mavericks didn't think him worth the trouble. After a while, though, an uneasy feeling crept into him. As he turned a corner, he could swear he heard footsteps. He continued to walk, listening. Yes, there were footsteps. Chip ran down the hall. Whoever was following him also began running. Then, idea struck Chip. He broke into a sprint, running at top speed until he arrived at a large room. Then, Chip whirled around. 

" Ah-ha!!! HUH???" Chip practically fell backwards. He stared, awed and surprised. " YOU!!???" 

" Yes, me," a voice hissed. Before Chip was none other than Gig. 


	11. ATTACK OF THE KILLER MAVERICKS!

Chapter Eleven: ATTACK OF THE KILLER MAVERICKS!! 

" What are you doing here, Gig? Zero said to head back to HQ!" Chip exclaimed. Gig smirked. 

" Who? Oh! You mean my 'commander', am I right?" Gig giggled. Chip peered at him. " How STUPID you are! Do you really think I'd take orders from a HUNTER?" he snapped. Chip jerked back. From behind Gig, Bit and Byte appeared. They all smiled widely. Chip charged his blaster up. 

" Have you gone Maverick!?" Chip demanded. 

" Absolutely! Just like YOU will!!" Gig hissed. Chip stared in horror. 

" But.... but... WHY?!" Chip cried. Gig laughed. 

" Finally realized how pitiful humans are! You are a fool to follow X and Zero! They are blind to the truth. Just as I was. But, I was shown the truth! Humans are weak and pathetic. They make slaves of reploids. No more! The humans and all who stand by them shall learn of pain and misery. And we'll start with YOU!" Gig growled. The Mavericks attacked. Chip leaped out of the way. He dodged well, firing when he could. Chip crouched and stared at Gig. A feeling of betrayal and of bitterness burned deep in him. He had always thought Gig was a jerk but he NEVER thought Gig would ever be a Maverick. The look he gave Gig was of pure hatred. Gig smiled, enjoying the look. Gig shot at Chip, who leaped and ducked out of the way. He back flipped and then shot at Gig. Gig barely managed to dodge the blast. 

" You are indeed a good Hunter, aren't you?" Bit asked. Chip snarled. " Well, you're not good enough!" Bit and Byte leaped from different directions. Chip barely leaped out in time. He back flipped a few feet and prepared to return fire. 

" Not so fast," a familiar voice hissed. From behind Chip, a blast shot out. It struck Chip point-blank right in the back. Chip screamed in pain as he felt his systems go hay-wire. He collapsed to the ground. He heard someone walk up to him. Chip tried to force himself up. He coughed up a bit of vital fluid. A heavy foot came down on his back, pushing him to the ground. 

" You never cease to amaze me, Rookie. You stand up to me twice and destroy Wire Sponge! I'm impressed!" a voice said. It was Vile. Chip narrowed his eyes. 

" Vulture," he managed to spit out. Vile laughed. 

" Mind telling us how you got in?" Vile asked as he tilted Chip's head upwards. In Chip's eyes, he saw hatred and pain but again he didn't see what he wanted to see. There was no fear. 

" Go glue your rear to a chair!" Chip snapped, weakly. Vile let Chip's head fall back to the ground. Chip felt his systems shut down. He began to lose consciousness. A final thought crossed his mind. " Damn, I really failed you this time, huh X?" 

Bo was running through the halls. He had picked a bad way to go, because he had run into Mavericks non-stop. He killed most of them but, he had not found the one he wanted. He wanted AGILE. He ran and ducked, hoping he'd run into Agile among the other Mavericks. He dashed into a room and found himself in the control room. He glanced around him. 

" Well well! If it isn't my good friend from the cavern!" someone said from behind him. Bo whirled around. There was Agile, Serges, and Violen. Bo grabbed his staff. He glared at Agile. 

" Long time no see, Maverick! I suppose you've been well?" Bo said, calmly. 

" Quite well," Agile answered. 

" Good, because you'll need all your trashy skills and sneaky tricks to even TRY to defeat me!" Bo growled. He leaped at Agile and knocked him across the room. Serges and Violen leaped at Bo, planning on overpowering him. Bo leaped out of the way and slammed his staff into Serges' head, knocking it clean off. Serges' body dropped to the ground, lifeless. Violen yelled in rage and punched wildly at Bo. By pure luck alone, Bo was able to get out of the way of the mammoth's punch. Bo jumped and hopped to avoid another punch and a kick. He swung his staff, striking Violen in the chest. Agile leaped up and tried to sink his sword into Bo's back. Bo back flipped over Agile and smashed his staff down on Agile's exposed head. Agile screamed in pain and dropped his sword. 

" You'll pay for that!" Agile yelled. He picked up his sword and swung it at Bo. Agile barely missed Bo, who leaped out of the way and brought his staff down again on Agile's head. Bo laughed at Agile, amused. Agile screeched in rage and began to swing wildly. Bo blocked a swing with his staff and kicked Agile in the face. He then leaped back a bit and crouched, prepared to attack again. Agile seemed to be gathering his thoughts. He held his sword in front of him and stared hard at Bo. Bo stood still, watching Agile. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Blast Cheetah leaped from the shadows at Bo. Bo barely dodged the slashing claws of the reploid cat. Blast Cheetah whirled around and roared. He quickly struck Bo across the face, before Bo could even tell if an attack was coming. It was quite obvious that Blast Cheetah was even faster than Overdrive Ostrich. Agile smiled viciously. Bo clutched his staff, unsure of what to do. He cautiously watched Blast Cheetah and Agile. 

" Whoa, dude, neat stick!" Blast Cheetah said. Bo narrowed his eyes. 

" It's a STAFF," Bo said. 

" Looks like a big stick to me!" Blast Cheetah snorted. Bo narrowed his eyes, dangerously. 

" It's a staff," he said quietly. Blast Cheetah tilted his head and peered at Bo. 

" Are you sure?" he asked. Bo slammed his staff on Blast Cheetah's head. 

" YES!!!!" Bo screamed. Blast Cheetah fell backwards, completely stunned. Agile leaped up and swung at Bo. Bo dodged and slammed his staff through Agile's chest. Agile gasped. He stumbled and fell down, lifeless. Blast Cheetah took one look at the bodies of the X-Hunters and frowned. 

" Uh oh....," he said. Bo leaped at him. Blast Cheetah quickly dodged and ran out the door. Bo chased after him. Blast Cheetah zipped and zagged. When he thought he had lost Bo, he ran right in to X and the others. Blast skidded to a stop and stared, dumbfounded. They stared right back at him, surprised. Bo suddenly leaped up and slammed Blast Cheetah across the face. Blast Cheetah fell to the ground, then jerked to his feet and leaped over X. He ran ( or skated) as fast as he could. Bo's attack had brought the other Hunters to their senses. They immediately chased after Blast Cheetah. Blast Cheetah tried his best to get away. He was completely surprised that they could keep up with them. In fact, only one was able to. It was the one with the wolf tail and wolf ears. Blaze Cheetah noted this with great respect. The others were breathing hard, unable to keep up with the grueling pace Blast Cheetah had set. They were following Met, who yelled out encouragements to them and threats of painful death to Blast Cheetah. He turned into wolf form and streaked after Blast Cheetah. Blast Cheetah called out for assistance but no one seemed to hear. Then, Blast Cheetah knew where they had gone. He quickly ducked down a hall and made a mad dash for a huge door. He knocked harshly against it. 

" Password?" a voice asked. It was Tunnel Rhino. 

" Open up, dude! The Hunters are right behind me!" Blast Cheetah yelled. 

" That's not the password...," Tunnel Rhino said. 

" Open up or I'll tear the door down and let them get you as well!" Blast Cheetah screamed, his temper gone. The door unlocked and opened wide. Blast Cheetah leaped in and slammed the door, his tail barely missing Met's teeth. Blast Cheetah leaned against the door and breathed a sigh of relief. He gazed around at the Mavericks around him. He was in his master's throne room. There was Tunnel Rhino and Neon Tiger, guards of the throne room of their master. Dr. Doppler was right behind them. Their master, still covered in shadow, sat high on his throne. They stared at him. 

" Who are the Hunters?" Neon Tiger asked. 

" Zero, X, that dude Vile fought when you were making a diversion, that dude we had to fight when we went for X, and that new reploid that tore Spark Mandrill to pieces," Blast Cheetah said. 

" What is his name?" the master asked. 

" They call him 'Met', sir," Blast Cheetah said. The Hunters began banging on the door. The master stared at Blast Cheetah. 

" Met? Met is still alive after all these years?" the master whispered. 

" You know him?" Dr. Doppler gasped. 

" Indeed, I do. I should think he remembers me as well," their master said. " No matter. Let the Hunters come. We have a little surprise," he said as he snapped his fingers. Vile appeared. Following him was Bit, Byte, and Gig. In Byte's arms was the unmoving form of Chip. 


	12. Twits Of A Feather Flock Together

Chapter Twelve: Twits Of A Feather Flock Together 

" One more blast and the door's going down!" Zero said as he charged. The others stood behind him, waiting. 

" What bothers ME is that I haven't seen that Rookie Chip anywhere!" Bo whispered as he prepared to leap as soon as the door was down. 

" He's around here somewhere," Met said, unconcerned. Zero let loose his blast. The door blew clean off it's hinges. The Hunters leaped in, expecting resistance. They were absolutely surprised when they received none. In the middle of the room, on a throne, sat a shadowy figure. A rasping breathing came from the figure. Met couldn't contain himself. 

" Luke! Luuuuke! I am your father!" Met said, his voice rasping and deep. Zero snickered. X rolled his eyes and pretended he didn't hear it. 

" How pleasant for you to show up!" the figure said, cheerfully. Neon Tiger, Blast Cheetah, and Tunnel Rhino hid behind the throne. Bit, Byte, Dr. Doppler, and Vile were next to him. They had something on the floor behind him. Probably a weapon. X froze. The voice did not belong to Sigma. But, it was vaguely familiar to X. Met looked very surprised. Proto Man gasped. 

" That's not Sigma!" X whispered. 

" It can't be!" Proto Man hissed. 

" It's impossible!" Met added. 

" You two remember me!" the figure noted. " I am very surprised at you, Met! Working along side Mega Man X?" he said. Met growled. " Surely you have told them?" the figure said, pleasantly. X looked quizzically at Met. 

" Shut up and fight!" Met yelled. He crouched and prepared to pounce. 

" Before you do anything drastic, think it over. You wouldn't want to put HIM in any more danger than he already is!" the figure said as he motioned to Byte. Byte turned around and picked up what he had been standing in front of. X gasped, horrified. It was Chip! Zero growled while Met bared his teeth. 

" Release him you slime ball!" X yelled, furious. The figure laughed. 

" Do as he says you scum sucking, boot licking, glue sniffing, yellow, pencil necked geek with his brain in his rear!" Met howled. 

" Not likely. Unless, of course, we come to a deal!" the figure said. 

" We don't deal with kiss-up little weasels like you!" Zero growled. 

" Insults, insults! Is that all you can do?" Vile laughed. 

" You want INSULTS?? We'll GIVE you insults!" Met snapped. Proto Man and Zero nodded. 

" What happened to your face? Did a car run over it?" Proto Man called. 

" Your rear's so big it has it's own daily tour!" Zero yelled. 

" Last time I saw a mouth THAT big there was a fish hook in it!" Met snarled. All the Mavericks were snickering at Vile. 

" Am I supposed to be insulted?" Vile managed to growl. He was trying his best to keep calm. 

" Isn't it dangerous to use your entire vocabulary in a single sentence?" Met asked. Neon Tiger burst out laughing. This prompted Met, Zero, and Proto Man to yell out more and more insults. Soon, Vile couldn't even speak. He stared, horrified. X hadn't said a single word. He just stood there, his mouth wide open and his eyes huge. Finally, the trio of foul mouthed reploids stopped and smiled with satisfaction. 

" *Ahem*.... as I was saying before.... we shall have to deal. Or else Chip will...," the figure began. 

" Yeah yeah, Chip will die!" Zero hissed. 

" No. Actually, I was thinking of infecting him with the Maverick virus! Dr. Doppler has some of it right now!" the figure said. Dr. Doppler waved a shot containing a pulsating green liquid. X gasped. " All I ask is... that you take the shot instead, Met!" the figure hissed. Met jerked back. X held his breath and stared. " I shall hand Chip over to X and his little 'buddies' if you, Met, take the shot instead of Chip!" the figure said. There was absolute silence. Met stared hard at Dr. Doppler. X shifted uncomfortably. Zero clenched his sword. Met peered back at them. 

" It's your choice, Met. I don't know what to do," X whispered. Met nodded. 

" How do we know you won't do it anyway, if Met takes the shot? You've always lied in the past! You're as untrustworthy as they come!" Proto Man growled. The figure laughed. 

" You don't. You'll only have to take the chance," the figure hissed. Met snorted. 

" Fine. I'll take the shot," Met growled, surprising everyone. " But FIRST you release Chip!" he snarled. Byte walked up to Zero while Met walked up to Dr. Doppler. Byte slowly handed Chip to Zero. Suddenly, Dr. Doppler grabbed Met's arm and jabbed the needle in him. Met howled in pain as the virus emptied in to his system. Byte yanked Chip away and began to run. 

" DOUBLE CROSS!!" Zero yelled. He leaped and dug his sword in to Byte's head. Blast Cheetah, Tunnel Rhino, and Neon Tiger attacked him. Bo rushed to Zero's side to help him defend against the Mavericks. X ran over and punched Dr. Doppler, catching him totally unaware. He grabbed Met, who was staggering on his feet. 

" My arm hurts...," he mumbled. Then, he passed out. X picked him up and began to run over to the others. Vile leaped in the way. X backed off a bit, staring angrily. 

" Get out of the way, Vile!" he hissed. Vile smiled. 

" You're not getting away THIS time, X. Neither you nor your friend!" Vile said. He aimed at X. X, daringly, kicked Vile in the gut. " You'll pay for that!!" Vile managed to wheeze out. 

" Cash or credit card?" X snapped. Vile charged his shoulder blasters. Proto Man leaped and wrapped his arms around Vile's neck. He jerked backwards, choking Vile. 

" Run, little bro!" Proto Man said. Vile grabbed Proto Man's arms and tried to rip Proto Man off of his back. X bolted past Vile. Vile managed to throw Proto Man. Proto Man flew a couple of feet and landed with a THUNK. He laid there, stunned. Vile rushed to take advantage of the situation. He aimed at Proto Man as he ran, charging up. Bo leaped over and tripped Vile. 

" Hurry! Over here!" X yelled to his friends. They broke and ran. X carried Met (who was a bit too heavy for the short little reploid) while Zero carried Chip. They raced through the halls. As they ran, they heard a roar. Bo turned around and saw that all the newest Mavericks were chasing them. Blast Cheetah, who was suffering from two blows to the head, was with them. Zero wanted to stop and fight but decided against it when he felt Chip move. They dashed and jumped over the wreckage of the Mavericks they had toasted. They came to the outer court. Zero leaped up the wall. As X was about to leap over as well, Stomp Unicorn flew by and knocked him to the ground. X cried out, startled. Stomp Unicorn screamed a challenge and dive bombed at X. X gritted his teeth, angry at what the Mavericks did to him, at what they did to Met. He stood tall, and glared. Then, he charged. He began to glow brightly. 

" HUH???" Stomp Unicorn gasped. X flashed faster and faster. Suddenly, he leaped in to the air. 

" G. CRUSH!!" X screamed. A white explosion completely engulfed X and Stomp Unicorn. Stomp Unicorn squealed in pain and crashed to the ground. He shook himself and gingerly stood up. X dashed off, carrying Met. He caught up with the rest of the group. Torrent Leviathan approached Stomp Unicorn. 

" It seems they have vacated the area!" he said. Stomp Unicorn snorted. 

" It does not matter if they escape the base or not. Met is infected with the virus and they are taking him with them. When he awakes, he will be a Maverick!" Stomp Unicorn growled. Torrent Leviathan smiled and nodded. He glanced at the full moon. 

" We had best get repairs underway. We will also have to repair all the Mavericks destroyed in the attack," Torrent Leviathan said. He turned and headed back inside. Stomp Unicorn stood where he was for a minute, silent, before following. 

" Do you think he'll be allright, Zero?" X asked as they traveled through the forest. Zero looked back at him. 

" I dunno," Zero said bluntly. X noticed that Zero didn't have very much sympathy for Met. Chip groaned quietly. Zero signaled for them to stop. They were far away from the base. It hadn't taken all that long to get to the base from the Rebel hideout. All the Hunters were forced to admit that they had traveled in the wrong direction. Zero gazed about. " I am afraid we will have to set up camp here," he said. 

" What? Why can't we just teleport?" X exclaimed. 

" X, where can we teleport TO? The Maverick Hunter's Headquarters is not completely constructed yet and we can't risk bringing Met to the Rebel base just yet! We'd be putting the lives of all the Rebels in danger! I'm afraid we've got to camp here. Then, if he doesn't wake up, we'll head for the Rebel Base. We'll have a guard posted. If Met wakes and is Maverick, he'll wake the others and deal with it ourselves," Zero explained. X felt a certain bitterness build in him. He had a hunch that Zero wasn't thinking about the rebels. Zero wanted to be the one that fought Met if Met went Maverick. This way he was making sure none of the rebels could engage in battle with Met before he could. 

" And if we are slaughtered?" Bo asked, interrupting X's thoughts. 

" Then the human race is in deep dog doo," Zero said bluntly. X laid Met down next to Chip. He watched the two unconscious forms as the others walked off. The Hunters 'borrowed' some sleeping bags and two tents from a cabin near-by. They had seen the cabin earlier. They went back and took what they needed. Thankfully, the cabin was not in use. They set up the 'borrowed' tents. They put Chip and Met in one. The other was set aside for them. A fire was made. The Hunters crowded around the fire. It was still very dark. The attack had not taken very long. Morning was not due for a while. As they huddled around the fire, they discussed who would be on watch at what time. 

" I'll take first watch. Then Proto Man, then Bo, then X. Then I'll go again. Who's ever on watch will wake the next watch. Remember, if Met's Maverick, expect the worst. He'll be sneaky so keep an eye and an ear out," Zero said. X was incredibly tired. He went in to the tent set aside for them, too off his helmet, plopped his helmet by the sleeping bag he was going to use, and curled up in it. After a few minutes, he was asleep. 


	13. Geepers Creepers! You've Got Glowing Pee...

Chapter Thirteen: Geepers Creepers! You've Got Glowing Peepers! 

" Mega Man X, how can you still care about him?" a voice whispered. X opened his eyes. He was standing on the roof of a building. Stars shown brightly in the night sky. X peered around him, unsure of what has happening. He heard a scream and whirled around. Below, he saw Met ( or at least he thought it was Met) attacking a small blue robot. The blue robot looked almost exactly like X. It was Mega Man. X jerked back in surprise when he realized this. 

" But, why is Met...," X whispered. He peered around and gasped. Dr. Wily and Bass were watching the scene from a building across from him. Treble growled with satisfaction as Met tore at Mega Man. Questions roared through X's head. 

" What is going on?" he whispered. Mega Man screamed as Met slashed him. Met leaped, claws extended, at Mega Man. X wanted to cry out for Met to stop. Met landed on Mega Man. Mega Man screamed in pain. Met leaned close to Mega Man and growled something. Mega Man's eyes grew wide with surprise, terror, and confusion. Met brought up his claw and scratched Mega Man across the face. Met then leaped back from Mega Man. Mega Man jumped to his feet and aimed at Met. Then, after saying something X couldn't hear, Mega Man blasted Met. Met took the blast head on. Met shuttered in pain, then blew up with a bright flash. Dr. Wily and Bass stared in absolute confusion. X's jaw dropped as he saw what was left of Met fall to the ground. Dr. Wily and Bass ran off, leaving the seriously wounded victor and Met in the alley. 

" How can you still trust him after THAT??" a voice said. Then, the alley and buildings disappeared into nothing. 

X slowly woke out of his deep sleep. He was sweating fiercely. X breathed heavily and forced himself to calm down. 

" Was it all just a dream? Did it really happen? Maybe I was over strained yesterday...," X mumbled. X snuggled in the sleeping bag, trying to forget the dream.. According to his internal clock, he had been asleep for an hour and a half. Suddenly, he realized there was something on him. Something had moved. X opened one eye and saw that it was an arm. In the sleeping bag next to his, Zero was snoring, stretched out. His arm was on X. X closed his eyes and tried to get back to sleep. He couldn't. He slowly moved Zero's arm and got up. He walked out of the tent. Proto Man was on guard, leaning against a tree. Proto Man looked up and watched X approach him. " Couldn't sleep, bro," X explained. He plopped down next to his big brother. 

" You remember everything?" Proto Man asked. 

" No, not everything.... I don't remember what happened that week or so before I was put in the capsule...," X said. Proto Man nodded. 

" It's best you DON'T remember...," he said. X peered at him. 

" Why?" X asked, surprised. 

" It wasn't exactly the highlight of your life," Proto Man said as he stretched. X could see that the conversation was over. 

" Okay.... I was wondering.... Why isn't Met thrashing around or anything like other reploids do when they are infected?" X said. Proto Man laughed. 

" Met's not a normal reploid! Met won't thrash around... he'll suffer in silence. That's his way. He's stubborn, that's what he is. It's not a weakness to cry out in pain!" Proto Man snorted. X laughed quietly. Proto Man and X then looked at the fire as it burned silently. After a while, X grew sleepy. He leaned up against the tree. Few minutes later, X was asleep. 

X woke again. He was by the tree. Proto Man wasn't there. Bo was on guard now. Bo was sitting on a rock on the opposite side of the camp. Bo was looking off, lost in thought. The fire wasn't burning very brightly any more. X didn't know why he had waken. He shrugged and curled up again. Bo stood up and stretched. X slowly drifted off. All of a sudden hands reached out, grabbed him around his neck, and began to choke him. X tried to scream. One thought rushed through his mind. Met was Maverick! X struggled and kicked and squirmed. X tried to scream. Nothing. 

" Where is Bo?!!" X thought frantically. The hands squeezed harder and X began to gag. He felt his attacker begin to kick him and punch him. X winced in pain with each kick and punch. He desperately tried to escape. He looked up and saw two glowing red eyes staring cruelly at him. X struggled as hard as he could, trying to scream. His breathing grew labored and heavy. He began to lose his vision. His body started to stop responding. In a final attempt, X weakly kicked out. It caught his attacker by surprise. X screamed loudly for help. X could hear Zero mumble something then go back to sleep. A blow to the chest by the attacker caused X to lose what little breath he had left. The attacker raised his fist, about to bash in X's head. X knew then that his friends would be too late. Too drained to even move, he braced himself for the fatal blow. Suddenly, vital fluid dripped on X. X peered up, groggily. The attacker stood before him, his fist high in the air. In the glowing eyes, there was pain and fear. X's eyes managed to focus. To his great surprise, he saw who his attacker was. GIG! X looked to see who had saved him. To his absolute shock, he saw Met standing behind Gig, his fist shoved right through Gig's body. Met's eyes were full of hate and rage as he stared at Gig. He yanked his arm out of Gig's body. Gig gagged, then collapsed on X. Met grabbed Gig's body and threw it away. X smiled thankfully. Met was staggering on his feet. X felt Met pick him up, as if he was a baby. Met walked the tent and gently laid X down next to Zero. " M... e.. t?" X asked, weakly. Met looked at him and smiled. 

" Everythin' is okay, X. Just go to sleep," Met whispered. He winced in pain and grabbed his arm. Right where the virus had been injected. 

" But I got watch next...," X mumbled, though he was drifting off. 

" I think they'll understand. Get some rest," Met answered. Then, Met turned to leave. 

" Met... don't go... please stay....," X whispered, drifting in and out of consciousness. Met stopped. 

" I'm not going far X. I'm going to lay down..... I am so tired..... X, I can feel the virus coursing through my body. Growing. It may take over... again..," he whispered. Before X could ask any questions, Met hurriedly continued. " I used up the energy I had left saving you. I heard you scream and I forced myself, despite the virus, out of my coma and went to save you. Those idiots didn't even wake up. I won't be able to do it again," Met said. 

" Don't worry.... Dr. Cain will... fix you...," X mumbled. Zero rolled over in his sleep and plopped his arm on X again. The last thing X saw before he fell asleep was Met smiling fondly at him. 

In the morning, X woke to find Zero's arm on him. X laid there for a while, trying to remember what happened. It dawned on him and his hand shot to his throat. It was sore. Zero, for some strange reason, smacked X in his sleep. X winced and bit back a cry of pain. Zero had hit him in one of the places Gig had kicked him. Zero seemed to notice it and groggily woke up. 

" X? What's wrong?" he asked, sleepily. 

" You hit me hard!" X said, not wanting to tell Zero what had happened. He himself didn't entirely believe it had happened. He grabbed his sleeping bag and wrapped it around his body. " Perhaps I'm sore because of sleeping in the wrong position...," X thought. He heard Zero sit up and could feel him staring at him. X forced himself to a sitting position. Bo walked in to the tent. 

" Hey, X! I wasn't able to wake you up last night for your watch!" Bo said. He walked up and patted X on the back. X cried out in pain. Bo had hit one of the places Gig had kicked him. Bo leaped backwards, surprised. Zero and Bo stared at him. X shuttered and forced himself to smile. He clenched the sleeping bag and pulled it tighter around him. 

" I guess I am a lazy good-for-nothing, huh?" he managed to mumble through gritted teeth. Proto Man rushed in the tent. 

" X? What's wrong?" he demanded. 

" N... n.. nothing...," X muttered. Zero reached over and slid the sleeping bag down so they could see his chest. A gasp rose from X's friends. Covering X's body were dents. He looked like someone had dropped a ton of bricks on him. They stared at him, dumbfounded. Finally, Zero spoke. 

" X.... is that why you wouldn't wake up?" he asked. X slowly nodded. 

" I didn't realize how much damage I took at the Maverick base. I'm fine!" X answered. He could tell they didn't believe him, but, thankfully they didn't push the subject. X cleared his throat and painfully stood up. " I want to check on Met!" X explained. Zero got to his feet and they all followed X out of the sleeping tent and in to the tent Met and Chip were in. Chip groggily looked at them. 

" What am I doing here?" Chip asked. " All I remember was Gig turning on me an' Vile blasting me in the back...," he mumbled. X felt his heart leap. Gig WAS a traitor! He turned to look at Met. He walked up to the unmoving form and stared. A mask of pain was on Met's face. 

" He's still in a coma!" Zero said. " No different from yesterday," X knew differently. He remembered everything Met had said. 

" I really hope Dr. Cain can help him...," X mumbled. Then, he turned to those present. " Are we heading for the Headquarters now? I just want to go home and sleep in my own bed," X said. Proto Man nodded. 

" We can't, yet. We have to head to the Rebel Base. The Hunter's HQ will not be completed at the moment. It won't be thorough protection and we NEED that. Don't worry... I'm sure they're working as fast as they can!" Proto Man said. X sighed. 

" Allright.... the Rebel Base...," he mumbled. 

" Can you make the trip?" Zero asked. X nodded. 

" I'm not THAT bad off!" X said. He and his friends packed up the tents and sleeping bags and returned them to the cabin they had borrowed them from. Before they left the cabin, Zero searched for a map and looked for the right direction to take. Thankfully, the owners of the map had marked where the cabin was. 

" We were traveling in the wrong direction this whole time!" Zero growled, embarrassed at the mistake they had made. Then, he exited the cabin, locked the door, and pointed them in the RIGHT direction. Then, they set off. Bo was carrying Met this time, they would not allow X to do so. " Maybe it won't take quite as long to rebuild the HQ as Kip said!" Zero said, hopefully. 

" I just wish we were going home," X said as they traveled. 


	14. Visiting the Past

Chapter Fourteen: Visiting the Past 

" Huhh..... I don't see an entrance...," X said as he looked about in the rubble. They were standing amid a collapsed building. It was again night. They had traveled all day, the trip going very slowly due to X's condition. He had to stop several times. But, he refused any help offered to him. As Proto Man searched, he sat down on a huge rock. Rubbing his feet, X grumbled to himself. 

" There is one. We went down it when you were unconscious," Chip said. Proto Man searched some more. 

" I think it's been sealed... this is exactly where it was..," Proto Man said as he tapped the ground with his foot. " Oh well. Don't worry. There's another way in. Come on," he said. X moaned and stood up. He grudgingly followed Proto Man and the others as they walked through the city. Proto Man looked around cautiously and quickly ducked in to a bakery. The others followed. There was a man at the counter of the bakery. The man looked up and caught his breath when he saw Proto Man. He quickly recovered. 

" What'll it be?" he asked, casually. 

" Oh, the usual! Some of your special donuts! You know, the ones with something hidden inside them?" Proto Man said. The man nodded and pointed at the door behind him. Proto Man ushered Bo, X, and Zero through the door. The man followed. They entered a storage room. Bo walked up to one of the huge boxes that was in front of a shelf and slowly moved it. Then he grabbed the corner of the shelf and opened it like a door. Behind it was a reinforced, steel, computerized door. Bo typed in some quick codes and opened the door. Behind the door was some stairs spiraling deep in to the ground. Zero, X, Proto Man, and Bo entered and began to descend the stairs. Bo closed the door behind them. The sound of the box being moved back in front of the shelf could be heard as they walked down the stairs. 

" How far down do we have to walk?" X asked, tripping on a step. 

" Watch your step, little brother. Don't worry, we'll get down there soon enough," Proto Man said. X grumbled. After a few more minutes, X again tripped. X had to grab on to the wall to prevent himself from falling down the stairs. 

" When we get down there, X, you need to get sleep! You're practically passing out!" Zero said. X said nothing. Finally, after a few more minutes of walking, X heard what he wanted to hear. 

" I can see the bottom!" Bo cried. X sighed in relief. He hurried down the stair and found himself at the Rebel base. Except that it was deserted. 

" Where is everyone?" Proto Man demanded. Bo placed the unconscious Met against the wall and walked around. 

" Look! A note!" Bo said as he walked over to a table in the room. He picked up the note. " 'Dear Proto Man, all the rebels have headed over to the construction site of the Maverick Hunter Headquarters. Construction's going fast but not fast enough. We've gone to help hurry it up.... we all left just an hour after you did. The pets came with us. Hope you were successful in your mission. P.S., We are out of oil,'" Bo read. Proto Man nodded. 

" Well, we have the whole base to ourselves...," Proto Man said, not knowing what else to say. X sighed and sat down in a chair near by. He closed his eyes. Proto Man shrugged. " Oh well..... I'm gonna watch some TV.....," he said. He walked off. Bo watched Proto Man walk away. He walked over to Met and picked him up. 

" I'm going to put Met in one of the Maverick Containment rooms. He'll be safe there," he said. He headed off. Zero turned to Chip. 

" This place is bound to have a training room. Let's go practice, Rookie," Zero said. Chip nodded. Zero walked off, Chip following him. X found himself alone. It was very quiet and X found it almost impossible to stay awake. So, he gave up trying. Within a minute, X was asleep. 

" Mega Man?" a woman asked. X opened his eyes. He was standing in an open field. It was dark out and the stars twinkled brightly in the sky. There was a slight breeze blowing over the field. He looked around. A gorgeous woman with long brown hair and blue eyes stared at him. She wore a red shirt and blue jeans. A bright red rose was nested behind her ear." Are you Mega Man?" she asked. X stared. 

" I... I am Mega Man X!" he says, surprised. The woman looked him over. 

" But you are still Mega Man....," she said. " I can tell," she said. 

" Do I know you?" X asked. 

" You used to....," the woman said, sadly. " Not anymore. Not since what happened," she said. 

" What happened?" X asked, curious. 

" Nevermind. It's not important," the woman said, though it was obvious that it was hard for her to say it. 

" Who are you?" X demanded. 

" Just forget you ever saw me..... forget all about this and what I have said.... I think it'd be best thing for both of us if you did...," the woman whispered. Her eyes were full of pain and sorrow. She turned and began to walk away. 

" WAIT!!" X cried. The woman disappeared. X stood still and stared. " Who was she?" he mumbled. 

" X? Little bro? You awake?" Proto Man said as he shook X. X mumbled and slowly opened his eyes. He jerked when he saw Proto Man. 

" I just had the weirdest dream!" X said as he rubbed his eyes. 

" X, I want to take you somewhere. Come on...," Proto Man said. He motioned for X to follow. X got to his feet and followed his older brother. Proto Man walked very quickly. X had to jog to catch up. They arrived at a garage. It was a huge hall containing really souped up motorcycles, cars, hovercrafts, and even a helicopter. Proto Man hopped on a motorcycle. He motioned for X to get on. " It'll take us there faster," Proto Man explained. X climbed on to the motorcycle. Proto Man started up the engine and took off. Proto Man sped down the runway and out a door that just opened in the wall. It led straight in to a long tunnel. Proto Man sped down the tunnel. X gazed about him, thoroughly surprised. The hum of the motorcycle echoed through out the tunnel. X looked ahead and jerked. He saw a dead end. The tunnel ended abruptly at a huge wall. 

" Proto Man! There's a wall ahead!!" X cried. Proto Man laughed. He sped up. Just as they were about to crash, the wall opened up and the motorcycle zipped out. The wall closed behind them. X looked back. The exit to the tunnel was disguised as part of a wall along the interstate leading out of the city. X wondered if the people who built the wall knew about the 'feature'. X gazed back at the front. 

" Where are we going?" he asked. 

" It's a surprise!" Proto Man answered. X sighed. Obviously Proto Man had no intention of answering any of X's questions. They sped along and Proto Man demonstrated how considerate a driver he was by cutting off three cars. X, at first, was worried about Proto Man's driving techniques. But, after a while, he gave up. He just sat back and tried to enjoy the view. He watched as the landscape zipped by. He noticed that the city was getting smaller and smaller. Where ever they were going, it must have been far out in the country. A half an hour later, Proto Man drove down a dirt road. Suddenly, X began to realize where they were going. 

" Isn't this....," X began. 

" Yup," Proto Man said bluntly. He sped up. X raised an eyebrow. 

" But... I was found there...," X said. 

" Did ya remember anything?" Proto Man asked. 

" No...," X said. 

" Then you didn't experience the feeling of being home, did you?" Proto Man said. X shook his head. 

" No....," he said. 

" Then you WILL experience it this time!" Proto Man said. X shut his mouth and watched the road. Some ruins came in to view. X felt a weird sensation in his gut. Proto Man sped up. As they got closer and closer to the ruins, X felt the sensation in his gut multiply. They pulled up in front of the ruins. Proto Man stopped the motorcycle and watched X as he got off. X stared at the building, his eyes wide with recognition. 

" Dr. Light's lab!" X whispered. He dashed in to the building. Proto Man followed. The building was a mess. No one had come by since Dr. Cain had left the site after he found X. It was considered a historical site and it was strongly agreed that no one could visit it without permission from the city council due to the danger of things getting damaged. X ran in to the lab part of the building and stared around, shocked. " I know where I am! This is where he built me!" X cried. He whirled and dashed own the hall and opened the door to a room next to it. " This was my bedroom! And... that one there was yours!" X cried. Proto Man nodded. 

" But that's not why I brought you here. There's something very special I want to show you," Proto Man said. X nodded and followed him. They walked out of the building. Proto Man pointed at a small hill not too far from the lab. There was a single tree, which looked pretty old. Proto Man and X approached it. When they climbed the hill and stood in front of the tree, X turned to his brother. 

" What did you want to show me?" X asked. 

" This... is Dr. Light's grave," Proto Man said. X jerked in surprise. " I had planted a tree to mark it... I couldn't think of anything to put on a tombstone..," Proto Man whispered. " I wasn't put in a capsule as long as you were. I was made in to a reploid a few years after you were put in the capsule. I was then put in a capsule for a short period of time. Well... it was short compared to YOUR stay in the capsule... I was there when Dr. Light died..," Proto Man explained. X remained silent. Neither spoke. After a while, Proto Man cleared his throat and looked away. X wasn't sure but he thought he saw a tear on his check. X put his arm around his big brother and hugged him. 

" Thank you for showing me this.... thank you...," X whispered. Proto Man nodded. 

" I thought you'd want to see it....," Proto Man said. X nodded. Proto Man sat down. X sat down next to him. " Ya know, you were lucky. You were asleep those thirty years. I was asleep for fifteen," Proto Man said. X looked at him. " After Dr. Light died and was buried, I moved Roll and the rest to Dr. Cossack's.... you remember him?" Proto Man began. X nodded. " Well, we went to live there. While we were there, Cossack studied the reploid plans. After three years, he decided to turn us in to reploids as well. We agreed. Dr. Cossack first worked on me. Then Roll followed by the pets. He placed us in the capsules. After fifteen years we awoke to find Dr. Cossack, looking pretty old. He ran tests on us to see if we were operational. Then, he began to create a reploid all his own. Bo," Proto Man said. X remained silent. " He grew sick. We had him stop building Bo and told him to take it easy. He listened to us and rested. After he got well, he wanted to start working again. He was weak and drained but we couldn't deprive him. He always thought about finishing Bo... Finally, when he did and put him in a capsule for five years to be tested, he got sick again. He admitted to us that he knew he wouldn't see Bo after he got out of the capsule so he wanted us to watch over him... a few weeks before Bo was to come out, Cossack died," Proto Man said. " We watched over him as Dr. Cossack wanted. Kalinka had gotten married and moved out. She gave us Cossack's fortress. Well... a few years later, we learned that someone had found Dr. Light's lab and had used some plans to create reploids. I ran to the lab as fast as I could and found that you were gone. I swore I'd do everything I could to find you. And I did...," Proto Man said. X could tell his brother was getting emotional. X nudged him with his elbow. 

" Ya actually missed me? Your younger pesky little blueberry head brother?" X asked, teasingly. Proto Man laughed. 

" Let's go back to the base, ya twerp! They're probably wondering where we are by now!" Proto Man said as he brotherly smacked X. 

" Okay. But this time, I'M driving!" X laughed. They dashed down and hopped on to the motorcycle. X driving this time, they sped down the dirt road and headed back towards the city. 


	15. The House That Kip Built

Chapter Fifteen: The House That Kip Built 

The Hunters had left the Rebel base and were on their way to the Headquarters. All through the trip, X thought. About what Met had said, about what had happened, about the dream, what Proto Man had said, but mostly he wondered what had happened to Gig's body. He never saw it when they had packed up camp. Not even a drop of vital fluid. It puzzled X greatly. If he wasn't so sore and damaged, he would have thought the attack never happened. Chip had explained what had happened between Gig and himself. 

" THAT must be how the Mavericks got in to the HQ! Gig let them in!" Zero snarled, angry at such treachery. X remained silent. He leaped and jumped, cringing now and then. X followed Zero as they headed for the Headquarters. " Now, X, don't expect too much. The HQ was demolished...," Zero said when they arrived. He turned to look at X. X's eyes were wide with absolute surprise. Chip's jaw had dropped. Zero turned to see what was so surprising. He gasped and stared. Where the Headquarters had stood, there was a gigantic tower. COMPLETELY finished. It was silver, white, and navy blue in color. The words ' Maverick Hunters Headquarters' were painted in shimmering gold on it. The whole west side of the city could see it. It's surprising X and his comrades didn't see it as they approached. The tower was twice as large and twice as big as the original Headquarters. There was underground parking, X noticed, as he saw patrol motorcycles heading down a runway under the tower. Two Hunters stood on guard on either side of the runway. X stood, shocked. Proto Man pulled the Maverick Hunters back to their senses. 

" Are we just going to stand here and stare or are we going to enter?" he demanded. Zero nodded. 

" Let's go....," he said. They headed for the tower. The guards watched them approach. X didn't notice them. He still stared in absolute shock. The guards saluted them. 

" It is wonderful to see you okay, Mega Man X!" one said. 

" We have a wounded Hunter, newly created by Dr. Cain, who was infected with the Maverick Virus," Zero said, very sternly. 

" The entrance is over there," the guard said. Zero nodded and saluted. Then, he turned and walked off. X still stared in shock. " It is indeed a wonder, isn't it sir?" the guard said to X. X managed to nod. " All the Hunters not involved in your search and rescue worked hard to create it! I am pleased to know you like it!" the guard added. 

" It's just absolutely amazing!" X gasped. He turned when he felt Proto Man grab his shoulder. 

" Zero's signaling you. Let's go," he said. X nodded and followed him to Zero. He was standing in front of a huge blue door with silver trim. Two guards stood on either side. They gawked at X, surprised that he was okay. X didn't pay any attention. Zero looked at them, then turned to press the button on a intercom. 

" Cain here," a voice said. 

" Doc, it's Zero. I have X. Met's hurt. Virus infection," Zero said. 

" Come on up, Zero! Hurry," Dr. Cain said. The doors opened automatically. Zero and the group entered. They were shocked to find a huge lobby. The roof of the lobby was very high overhead. They stared as they walked. Kip ran up. 

" Dr. Cain wanted me to lead you to the lab! The place has changed," Kip said. They followed Kip down a hall. They hopped in an elevator and then went up a few floors. They then ran down another hall. They came to a door which Kip opened. There was a huge lab, filled with all sorts of machinery. " They're here, Dr. Cain!" Kip said. Dr. Cain ran up from across the room. He stared at Met, in Bo's arms. 

" We need to take him to sick bay. Come on," he said. He lead the way. It was a separate floor entirely. Sickbay was built just like a hospital. They took Met into one of the hospital rooms and laid him down on the bed. Dr. Cain turned to X and Zero. " You must be tired. Go to your rooms. They were kept in the same places," he said. He turned to Chip. " All the Hunters have their own rooms now. Kip will show you where yours is," he said. Zero coughed. 

" I've decided to ask that Chip be inducted in to my squad," he said. Chip gasped. Dr. Cain stared. 

" Rookies don't belong in your squad!" Chip exclaimed. Zero smiled. 

" Precisely," Zero said. Chip stared, absolutely speechless. 

" Well, Chip, congratulations. You are no longer a Rookie," Dr. Cain said. Chip stared, unable to answer. 

" Since you are in MY special squad, you'll be receiving orders from ME. I expect you up at 0600 hours each morning to report for duty. ATTENTION!!" Zero barked. Chip saluted, very nervous and surprised. " Dismissed!" Zero said. Kip lead Chip away. X giggled. 

" We just got home and already you're picking on everyone!" X said. Zero peered at him. He smiled viciously. 

" X, you are wounded. Thus, you are off duty. Am I right Dr. Cain?" he said. Dr. Cain nodded. " As the only on-duty commander, I order you to report to your room! Any complaints shall result in punishment!" Zero said as he saluted X. " Dismissed," he added. X smiled. He turned and walked out of the door, heading for his room. Dr. Cain turned to Proto Man and Bo. 

" What will you do?" Dr. Cain asked. Proto Man turned to Bo. Bo nodded. 

" I want to step down as leader of the rebels and give the job to Bo. I want to be with my brother. Will you have me?" Proto Man said. 

" I would be glad to have you! We'll have a room issued at once!" Dr. Cain said. " You may bring anyone else you wish! Roll, at this moment, is in the kitchen cleaning. She is most welcome to stay," he added. 

" I'll be back!" Proto Man said as he and Bo left the room. Zero turned to Dr. Cain. 

" Will Met go Maverick?" he asked. 

" I don't know. I hope not," Dr. Cain said. 

As X walked down the hall, he thought about all that had happened. He walked in to the elevator at the end of the hall and pressed in a few buttons. As the Elevator went up, X continued to think. 

" There is so much about me that I am not allowed to know! Why are they keeping things from me?" he whispered. When the elevator opened again, he walked down and opened the door to his room. There was a bed and a dresser. There was also another door across the room. To his surprise, in the middle of his room was a dusty old trunk. His trunk. X suddenly remembered. Before the Mavericks had attacked, Dr. Cain was planning on having the rooms painted. X had packed all his junk in to his trunk and shoved it under his bed. X had not been pleased with having to do that. Now, he was very thankful he did. He opened the trunk and arranged his room. 


	16. Doggy Kissies And Star Trekking

Warning: Since I took so long putting this up... I'll just put the rest up all at once! XD;;; Sorry! Oh! And a side note: I've revised Poison of Love, the sequel to this fic. Once I'm satisfied that it's good, I'll post it! I hope you'll like it! I would've revised ENSHS too... but that would have killed me. :P I wrote so hideously. ;_; 

Chapter Sixteen: Doggy Kissies And Star Trekking 

Proto Man stared about him. He had all his junk packed up. He had also packed Roll's. Roll had made it plain she planned on staying. According to the Hunters that had been there the whole time, she personally decorated EVERY room. The decision had been hard. But, he decided that he wanted to be with his brother and catch up. 30 years of absence is a LOT of absence. When he was sure he had everything, he went and said good-bye to all the rebels. They wished him good luck. 

" Be sure to visit us, Proto Man! I'll come visit you whenever I can!" Bo said when Proto Man had said good-bye. " Don't be a stranger!" 

" I'll visit! Ya know, it's kinda weird to have my brother back," Proto Man said. Bo smiled. 

" Of course! You haven't seen him in 30 years! What did you expect?" Bo said. 

" Nothing less," Proto Man said. Then, he left the base. It was a weird feeling for Proto Man. But, it was for the best. 

--- 

" X? You up?" Zero asked as he knocked on the door to X's room. It was the next day. Surprisingly, X had slept all the rest of the day and all the night. Zero continued to knock. The door opened a moment later. There stood X, in blue shorts and a white T-shirt. The T-shirt was too big for X but he wore it anyway. X's hair was a complete mess. He looked at Zero. 

" Yeah, what's the matter?" X asked. 

" Dr. Cain wants you in Met's hospital room," Zero said. X nodded. 

" Let's go!" he said. They walked to the hospital room. When they arrived, Dr. Cain looked very worried. 

" I ...," he began. 

" What IS it with you people?? Can't even give a guy a warm welcome?" Proto Man demanded as he walked in the room. Behind him, Rush, Tango, and Beat zipped in. They had been running around the tower and were so busy pestering everyone that they hadn't even noticed that X was back. Rush made a dash straight for X, who kneeled to the ground and wrapped his arms around Rush. 

" Hiya, Rush! Miss me?" X said, playfully. Rush barked enthusiastically. Tango purred and rubbed against X while Beat flew loops over X's head. 

" Awww.... ain't this sweet? A family reunion! Where's a camcorder when you need one?" Zero mocked. X gave him a very dirty look. Zero smiled and pretended that he was warding off some horrible evil. Rush began to fiercely lick X's face. X forgave Zero's teasing and began to pet Rush again. Proto Man smiled. Roll walked in, curious about all the noise. 

" This is so weird..... I have my long lost brother back after so many years!" she said, unable to contain her emotions any more. She walked up and wrapped her arms around X and gave him a bear hug. X pretended to gag as his sister hugged him. X stood up, holding Rush. Rush continued to lick X's face, as if making up for lost time. X turned to Dr. Cain, trying to ignore the dog. But, Rush insisted on licking X's face. X got the distinct impression that Zero found it very amusing. Why else would Zero have collapsed on the floor and begin to laugh? X found nothing so amusing and had a good mind to tell Zero that. When he was about to, Dr. Cain spoke up. 

" Now, if you're QUITE finished..," he began. Everyone looked at him. " Like I was saying, I can't slow the infection. Today and tonight will be the crucial times. It will then be decided if he is Maverick or not. I want someone to be in the room at all times," Dr. Cain said. 

" And if there is ANY Maverick activity, notify everyone! Do NOT engage in battle!" X said, watching Zero for a reaction. X couldn't keep the bitterness from his voice. Zero looked at him, his face expressionless. X couldn't tell what Zero was thinking. 

" I will stay with Met. X, you and Proto Man can watch during the night," Dr. Cain said. 

" Okay. I don't intend on sleeping anymore anyway. I've had my full," X said. Proto Man smirked. 

" Oh great! Like I really need to hang around that blue twerp!" Proto Man joked. He gave X a brotherly ( and not too gentle) punch. X smiled. He playfully smacked Proto Man in the back of the head. 

" And you think I actually WANT to hang around YOU?" X laughed. Proto Man grabbed X and put him in a head lock. 

" You guys can go now, I'll watch Met with the doctor," Roll said. X, Proto Man, and Zero hesitated. Roll whirled around. " I said GIT!!!" she yelled. She pushed them out the door and slammed it shut. The Hunters stood there, unsure of what to do. 

" I get dibbs on the remote!" Zero suddenly said. He turned and raced for the TV room. 

" You had dibbs last time! It's my turn!" X yelled as he chased after the retreating red and gold Hunter. 

" Not if I get there first!" Zero called. They skidded in to the TV room. X leaped and tackled Zero. Proto Man rushed up and grabbed the remote before his brother and Zero could recover. 

" I could get to really like it here!" Proto Man giggled. He flopped down on the sofa and turned on the 'tube'. X sat next to him. Zero squeezed in beside X. The couch was too small. X was crushed. Proto Man flipped through the channels. " Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope," Proto Man said as he changed. He felt X struggle to get his arm unstuck. " Nope. Nope. Ah-ha! Cool!" Proto Man said. He stretched out and began to watch TV. 

--- 

_Met......, _

What's... what's going on? 

_Met, resistance is futile! _

You sound like one of the Borg, 

_Met, this is no joking matter! _

You shall be assimilated! 

_Met...., _

Staaaaaar TREKKING across the universe....., 

_Met! SHUT UP! _

No. 

_I command you to listen to me! _

Make me. 

Suddenly, Met opened his eyes. He looked around and saw that he was surrounded by a mysterious gray fog. He tried to move but found that wires were tangled all around his body, preventing all movement. He was hanging high above the ground. Met glanced around. 

_Give up, Met. You can not win,_

" Wanna bet? Who are you?" Met snarled. He struggled with his bonds. 

_I am your master!_

" I have no master!" Met howled. 

_Give it up, Met. Allow the virus to take control. It is your destiny,_

" I am the one who decides what is my destiny! Not some voiceless body!" Met growled. He glared around. 

_Why do you fight the virus? I know as well as you how much you love the taste of blood!_

" What??!!" Met cried. 

_You love to fight! You long for battle! Do not deny it!_

" What does that have to do with anything?" Met growled 

_If you join us, you will be given the ultimate opportunity! The opportunity to fight opponents as strong as you! Imagine! A duel to the death with Zero!_

" Shut up!" Met cried. 

_With Proto Man!_

" I won't listen!" Met said. 

_With X!!_

" NO!!!" Met screamed. The fog grew thicker and thicker around him. The fog engulfed him. Before Met knew what had happened, he had drifted in to darkness. 


	17. Nothing Like Male Bonding

Chapter Seventeen: Nothing Like Male Bonding 

" Buuu-rrp!" Zero belched. X and Proto Man peered at him, casually. 

" Nice one, Zero," Proto Man commented. They were sipping some oil coolers and looked completely relaxed. X began to balance an empty can on his forehead, feeling a bit tipsy. Roll walked by, on her way from the hospital room. She stared at them. 

" Awww! Ain't this touching? Male bonding!" Roll laughed. All she received were cold glares, which she pretended not to see. She turned and walked off but, before she did, she turned to Zero. 

" You have watch. Bye bye now, take care then!" Roll said. She walked off. They watched her leave. Zero slowly stood up and stretched. 

" Gotta go. *YAWN* See ya," Zero mumbled. He walked out the room and headed for Met's hospital room. X watched him for a minute, then turned his attention back to the TV. Zero walked in to the hospital room and found Dr. Cain sitting by Met's bed. Met was still in his coma. His face was still a mask of total pain. Not even a twitch came from the form. Zero peered at Dr. Cain. 

" No change. None what-so-ever," Dr. Cain said, sadly. " It's a terrible shame. I had such high hopes in him...," Dr. Cain said. 

" We still have a chance! He may not become Maverick.... you can't just give up!" Zero cried. He made himself sound more hopeful than he felt. Dr. Cain looked at him, concern in his eyes. 

" If he IS Maverick, we are in more trouble than you could possibly ever imagine," Dr. Cain whispered. Zero remained silent. 

--- 

" Gimme the remote," 

" No," 

" I said, GIMME the REMOTE," 

" And I said NO," Proto Man growled. X glared at him. 

" All you're watching is junk! Find something good!" X growled. Proto Man snorted. X thought Proto Man rolled his eyes but couldn't tell because his brother was wearing his trademark dark shades. 

" There is nothing wrong with what I am watching," he snarled. 

" Aw, come on! WRESTLING? It's nothing but overweight men in spandex pretending to fight!" X snorted. He took a big sip of his cooler. Proto Man stared, surprised. 

" PRETENDING?? You must be joking!" Proto Man cried. X choked on his cooler. He stared, dumbfounded. 

" You honestly believe it's REAL?" X gasped. 

" It's real!" Proto Man said. X choked again. 

" I don't believe I am HEARING this! My older brother thinks wrestling is REAL!" X said. Proto Man glared at him. 

" It's real," Proto Man said, calmly. X shook his head. 

" Fake," X said. 

" REAL," Proto Man growled. 

" FAKE," X snapped. 

" REAL!!" 

" FAKE!!!" 

" I'll show you how FAKE it is!" Proto Man said as he lunged at X. X stared, absolutely startled. Proto Man wrapped his arms around X's neck and pushed his face in to the sofa. X struggled to break his brother's grip and grabbed Proto Man's leg. He jerked, sending Proto Man flying backwards in to the cushions. Proto Man grabbed a cushion and slammed X with it. X grabbed a sofa cushion for himself and bashed Proto Man. They smacked each other with the cushions and laughed. 

--- 

" How are the repairs coming?" Vile asked as he walked in to a room. 

" Slowly! How do you expect me to fix EVERY single Maverick in so little time?" Dr. Doppler answered, annoyed. He gazed about him at all the bodies of Mavericks. " Be thankful that I have half of them back on line!" he snapped. 

" And some of that half were already in construction before the Hunters attacked!" Vile said, ill-tempered. Dr. Doppler snorted. 

" So? At least you have half!" he growled. He walked over and picked up the damaged, unmoving form of Sting Chameleon. " Get out of here so I can finish my work!" he snarled. Vile hesitated. Dr. Doppler whirled around and glared. " GET OUT!" he screamed. Vile dashed out the door, not wanting to face Dr. Doppler's wrath. It was said the doctor could tear a Maverick in half. Also, the thought of the anti-virus used against Sigma wasn't a pleasant one for Vile. When he was sure he was far enough away, Vile slowed down and began to walk. He stared at his feet, thinking. 

" If Sigma knew how badly we screwed up, he'd disown us all....," he mumbled. He walked toward the throne room, where his master waited. He walked up to the throne. His master was blaming HIM for what had happened. He could feel his master's eyes burning deep in to him. He slowly raised his head and stared at the figure before him. 

" Well?" the master asked, harshly. 

" Your forces are half completed, Sir," Vile answered. A growl came from the figure's direction. 

" HALF done? Only HALF?" the master growled. Vile tried his best to remain calm. " How do you expect me to make due with only half the Mavericks?" the figure hissed. 

" Dr. Doppler is working 'round the clock!" Vile exclaimed. " And don't forget that Met's infected with the virus!" he added. 

" Yes, that is the one good thing that came from that little incident," the master said. " Leave me," the master said, waving Vile off. Vile obeyed. The figure's eyes glittered. " Met, soon we will be on the same side once again!" he hissed. Then, he began to laugh. 

--- 

There was silence through out the Maverick Hunter Tower ( which it was now nick named). It was late at night. Not even a star shown in the sky, causing the gloom to thicken. Beat, who was perched on top of a door frame, remained absolutely quiet. Tango wasn't slinking about like he usually does. He was hiding in Zero's room, curled up under the sleeping reploid's golden hair. His eyes stared out, expectantly. Silence. X sat quietly in Met's hospital room. Proto Man sat in a chair across from X. They stared at the walls. Neither spoke. They were too lost in their thoughts. X was worried. Met had not waken up during Zero and Dr. Cain's shift. So that meant that Met would wake during the night. But would he be Maverick? Would he be normal? X worried constantly. Proto Man stared at his brother. X turned to look at Proto Man. They stared for a while. Speaking seemed out of place. The gloom grew thicker and thicker as time rolled on. Proto Man dozed off. X didn't wake him because there was no point to. Things were quiet, gloomy, and boring. Met hadn't even twitched. X groggily peered at the unconscious reploid. He had earlier thought that he didn't need any more sleep. It was totally different now that it was one in the morning. X propped his feet up. Proto Man slowly woke up. 

" I'm going to get a can of oil. You want me to get you one?" Proto Man said, quietly, as he stood up. 

" Okay," X whispered. Proto Man tipped toed out the door, trying not to wake up anyone. X sat quietly, staring at Met. Silence again. X sighed and shook his head. He closed his eyes, trying to sort through his thoughts. A few seconds later, he wished he hadn't. He was knocked from his chair by a punch to the head. X fell to the floor. He looked about for the source of the blow and found Met standing over him, an evil expression on his face. His eyes were no longer their shining green. Instead, they were blood red. X caught his breath. Met was Maverick. 


	18. Whispers In The Dark

Chapter Eighteen: Whispers In The Dark 

Proto Man, oil cans in his hands, headed for the hospital room that Met resided in. He walked by Zero's room and heard a muffled meow. Proto Man stopped and peered into Zero's room. He saw Tango staring at him from under Zero's long hair. Zero snored, sleeping peacefully. Tango's cat eyes appeared to be full of fear. Fear and foreboding. Proto Man, confused, called softly to the cat. The cat hissed in response and curled up deeper in to the sleeping Zero's long golden hair. Tango began to nervously groom his paw. Rush stuck his head out of X's room and whimpered, pitifully. Proto Man suddenly felt a feeling of uneasiness creep into him. He felt a strong urge to get back to X as quickly as possible. He turned and dashed towards the hospital room. When he was almost there, he ran in to Dr. Cain. Dr. Cain whirled around, startled at seeing Proto Man up and about. In his hand were blueprints and papers. Dr. Cain dropped the blueprints and papers on the floor when he saw Proto Man skidding to a halt before him. He coughed and regained his posture. 

" Proto Man?" he asked. Dr. Cain leaned over to pick up what he had dropped. Proto Man assisted him. 

" Gettin' me and X something to drink. What's up?" Proto Man said. 

" Nothing very serious. I'd like to take a moment of your time... I would like to ask you a few questions...," Dr. Cain said. He motioned for the lab. Proto Man glanced at Dr. Cain. Then, he glanced at the papers and blueprints. He shrugged. 

" Whatever," he said, clearly indifferent. Dr. Cain looked at him. 

" Does X really remember his past?" he asked. Proto Man eyed him. 

" No. I don't believe he does. He remembers some things but his memory isn't perfect. If he did..... he would have...... his memory is not all there," Proto Man said, trying to hide something. 

" You know who it is?" Dr. Cain asked, surprised. Proto Man clearly didn't want to talk about it anymore. 

" If you say so. Do you think X will be okay guarding Met all by himself?" Proto Man said. At the mention of X and Met, Proto Man felt the uneasiness from before creep back in to him. He glanced, nervously, at Dr. Cain. " I planned to be gone only for a minute! Maybe I should hurry back to check on him!" he added, worried. Dr. Cain chuckled and smiled at Proto Man. Proto Man looked at him, confused. 

" I can understand your concern. After all, you're his older brother and you just managed to get him back. You don't want to lose him again. But you shouldn't worry. X has battled many Mavericks and has risen victorious against impossible odds. I think X can take care of himself. You shouldn't worry about him," Dr. Cain said. 

--- 

X slammed against the wall. He staggered on his feet, dazed. Vital fluid dripped down the corner of his mouth. His breathing was heavy and his sight hazed. Pain coursed through his body. X's body was covered with cuts where Met had slashed him. He tried to shake off the feeling of nausea coursing through his body but that only made the pain worse. 

" Seems to me that all this week I've been in SOME kind of pain!" X thought, bitterly. His thoughts were quickly interrupted when he felt himself go flying through the air, crashing in to the bed. X yelped and collapsed to the ground. Fighting the pain that shot through his body, X forced himself to his feet. Met smiled, thoroughly enjoying X's pain and torment. He grabbed X by the arm and began to mercilessly punch him in the stomach. X gagged and choked up vital fluid. Met again threw X roughly across the room, smiling smugly when X cried out in pain. X, stunned, kneeled on the ground. He coughed up more fluid and tried to wipe it away with his hand. Met slowly approached the fallen X. X struggled to his feet and tried to get his senses back before Met could attack again. Met leaped and slashed X across the shoulder. X cried out in pain and clutched his shoulder. X staggered backwards. Met's eyes glowed cruelly as he stared at the small blue reploid. His fangs glistened as he smiled evilly. 

" What's wrong, X? Am I too much for you? Can't you fight?" he taunted. X couldn't answer. He was too much in shock. All that ran through his mind was what Met had said when he saved X from Gig. He stared at Met, feeling betrayed. Met laughed. It was a wicked sound. X shuttered. He backed away from Met, who snarled viciously. X couldn't fight Met, definitely not in his condition. 

" Met! Please! Get a hold of yourself! It's the virus!" X said, desperately. He tried to get his pain hazed eyes to focus. Met bristled and snarled. " Met! Get a hold on yourself!" X cried. 

" I'd much rather get a hold of YOU! And when I do, I'll rip you in to tiny pieces!" Met answered. He leaped, claws extended, at X. X ducked and slid out of the way. He tried to get back to his feet quickly but gasped in pain when he tried to work his leg. Met hadn't totally missed. He had badly scratched X's leg. X grabbed his leg and winced in pain. He had to keep moving or Met would have him. He struggled to his feet, gasping at the pain. Met crouched, slightly. His tail swung back and forth. Met's ears twitched now and then. He stared at X, sizing up the small reploid. X stood still, afraid that any movement would cause Met to attack. X couldn't survive another attack. He was barely able to remain conscious. Silence. Neither reploid moved. X could feel Met's burning eyes piercing him. Looking deep within him. X shuttered at the feel. Met slowly began to move to the left. X watched, curious. Met smiled viciously. " Tell me again that it's the virus making me do this!" Met snickered. X didn't know what Met was driving at. 

" It IS the virus! Don't you remember ANYTHING??" X cried. Met giggled. 

" I remember everything. I even remember that stupid little speech I made when I saved you from that moron Gig!" Met whispered. Then, he snorted with disgust at the memory. " He deserved the fate he was given! And it was a pleasure for me to give it to him!" he added, wickedly. 

" What happened to the body?" X asked, trying to stall. If he could just give Proto Man time to get back, there might be a chance that X would live to see morning. 

" You REALLY want to know?" Met asked. X nodded. " I ate him!" Met giggled. X gasped and stared in total shock. Met smiled wickedly. " What's wrong? There's no difference between me eating him and a human eating a cow! What do you think a hamburger's made of?" Met said, casually. X stared in shock, unable to speak. That's when Met attacked. He leaped and grabbed X around the neck. He jammed X against the wall and began to squeeze. X gagged and chocked. " I'll rip your head off, Mega Man X!!!" Met snarled. X struggled to break free from Met's crushing grip but it was no use. X felt Met begin to strangle him. 

" I... I can't breathe!!! He's... crushing.... me..... can't... BREATHE! Proto Man, where ARE you?? Please HURRY!" X thought, frantically. He kicked and struggled. " Met! No!! Stop! Please!! Met! Fight it!" X cried. Met chuckled, wickedly. He leaned over to X's ear. 

" Yes.... this is what I live for! I LOVE holding people at my mercy! Being the one to make the decision on whether they will live another day.... whether they are given a second chance to see the sunrise and experience what it feels like to be alive.... or to die!" Met whispered in X's ear. " Sadly for you, X, I have decided.... that you will DIE!!!" Met growled. He squeezed even harder. X felt the world begin to spin. He felt dizzy and his breath grew ragged. 

" Proto.... Proto Man's not coming! He's... not going to make it!" X's mind shrieked at him. " Met... please.... stop!!' he managed to whisper. All he could see was blur. " PLEASE!!!" he screamed. He felt all his strength leave him. He closed his eyes, all resistance leaving him. Suddenly, X was dropped to the floor. He groggily opened his eyes and peered at Met. Met's expression was of pure shock and horror. His eyes flickered from green, to red, to green. Met shook his head and cried in pain. 

" I... I... I won't! NO! NOT AGAIN! I WON'T do it! I WON'T!! Do you hear me? You can't make me!! It won't happen again!" he cried. He stood, dazed. He slowly looked down at X, his eyes wide with fright. " X.... what have I done?" he whispered. Suddenly, Met went tense and collapsed. X crawled over to Met's body. Met had fallen back in to his coma. X smiled weakly, then fell in to darkness. 


	19. Revival Of the Warrior

Chapter Nineteen: Revival Of the Warrior 

X yawned and stretched. He opened his eyes and looked about him. To his surprise, he was in his room. In his own bed. He pulled off his covers and got to his feet. He was still in his armor. He gazed and saw all the wounds covering his body. Something dawned on him. X ran out the door and dashed to Met's room. There, he found Dr. Cain, Zero, and Proto Man. They were staring at the comatose Met, a very stern expression on their faces. X skidded to a halt and crashed in to Zero. Zero cried out in surprise. X kneeled on the floor, trying to catch his breath. 

" X! You shouldn't be up! You're heavily wounded!" Dr. Cain said. 

" Don't worry, X, we'll deal with Met," Zero said as he helped X to his feet. " And everyone knows what I think should be done to deal with him," he said to Dr. Cain. Dr. Cain nodded, sadly. Proto Man began to charge and aimed at the unmoving Met's head. X gasped in surprise and jerked out of Zero's grip. 

" No you won't! I won't let you!" X cried. He jumped in front of Proto Man, shielding Met's body. 

" X! Get out of the way!" Proto Man commanded. X stood where he was, adamant. He glared at his brother. 

" You'll have to kill me first!" X growled. 

" X! He attacked you! He's Maverick!" Zero yelled, trying to reason with X. X shook his head, stubbornly. 

" No, he's not! If he was, he would have killed me! He fought off the virus! He refused to kill me!" X yelled. 

" X! Move!" Dr. Cain ordered. X grimaced. He knew that everyone was against him. He felt a lump form in his throat. They were all against him. Zero, his best friend. Dr. Cain, the man who took care of him. And Proto Man, his own brother. 

" You have got to believe me! You can't kill him like this!" X wailed. X turned to his brother. " If I meant ANYTHING to you, at any time, you'll stand by me! Please, brother!" X pleaded. Proto Man remained silent. X felt as though his brother had shut his plea out. A feeling of betrayal shot through his body. 

" You don't know what you're saying. His attack damaged your senses! You are going to have to move, X. Since you won't do it of your own accord, I'll have to move you by force," Zero said. He approached the small blue reploid. X backed away, still standing in front of Met. X tried to voice his complaint but Zero shut it out. X braced himself as Zero came closer. 

" No," Proto Man said, sternly, as he stepped between Zero and his brother. X stared, surprised, at his brother. " I believe him! You should too, since you're supposed to be his friend!" Proto Man declared. Zero stopped. " I will not dismiss what he says as rambling nonsense! I stand by him! He is my brother and.... I love him," Proto Man said. He gazed back at his little brother. X looked at his older brother, pure gratitude and relief in his eyes. He fought the desire to hug his older brother but knew it wasn't the right time or place. " What will it be, Zero? Will you turn against X?" Proto Man asked as he stared Zero in the eyes. Zero stood still. He remained motionless. X stood still, unsure of what the tall red and gold Hunter would do. Suddenly, Met moaned. Everyone whirled around. Met shifted and moaned again. 

" He's waking up!" Dr. Cain noted. X prayed desperately that he was correct about Met and the virus. If he was wrong, he would never be trusted again. That is, if he lived. Everyone stared, tension building. Met slowly opened his eyes. X held his breath. It all would come down to the first thing Met would do. 

" Geez, X, when was the last time you took a bath?" Met said. X smiled widely. Met's brilliant green eyes shined. " You smell worse than a garbage truck!" he added. Zero aimed at Met's head. Met jerked and stared, surprised. X again found himself holding his breath. Zero looked at Met, then X. 

" Allright. I'll listen to X," Zero grumbled. X sighed in relief. " Dr. Cain, can you do a scan on Met and search for the virus?" Zero asked. Dr. Cain sighed and walked over to a computer console near by. He typed in a few buttons and Met's systems came up on a screen in front of him. Met stared at Zero and Dr. Cain, confused and suspicious. 

" Scanning...," Dr. Cain said. He gazed at the screen before him and jerked. " There's nothing! No virus what-so-ever!" he gasped. He typed in some more buttons. He glanced back at the reploids present. " Still nothing! I'll do an entire system's check!" Dr. Cain said. X smiled with triumph. Dr. Cain looked up. " It's as if the entire virus simply disappeared!" he gasped. Met tilted his head and peered at the screen. 

" You see?" X laughed. " Met's okay!" Proto Man smiled. 

" And no one should have doubted your word," he said as he placed a hand on X's shoulder. Zero snorted. He looked, apologetically, towards X. 

" Yeah, no one should have," he mumbled. X smiled at him. 

" I forgive you!" he said. Met snorted. 

" I don't see what the big deal is! I'm as I always was!" Met said. " Oh, and Zero, why did you aim at my head?" Met asked, dangerously calm. 

" In case you were Maverick, I didn't want to be caught unaware," Zero snorted. Met smiled, slowly. 

" I have a feeling you thought I was already Maverick and planned on shooting me before I could do anything!" Met stated, slowly. Zero remained silent. Met smiled. " Am I right?" he asked. 

" Met, that doesn't matter anymore! What matters is that you are okay! You aren't Maverick!" X said. Met gazed at X, a strange look in his eyes. 

" You're right... it doesn't matter....," Met said. X stared, surprised. " You see, I could have killed him before he could have killed me! So him thinking of shooting me doesn't matter! I still would have come out victorious!" Met hissed, smiling viciously. Zero hissed. X gazed at the two reploids. 

" Please don't start this, not right after you wake up!" X said. Met again looked at X. His eyes sparkled. 

" WHATEVER," Met growled. He stood up. 

" I'm glad you're okay, Met... I thought we were going to lose you for a while there..," X said. 

" What? Lose me? IMPOSSIBLE! What would you ever do WITHOUT me?" Met gasped. 

" I can dream, can't I?" Zero mumbled. 

--- 

" It must be so cool!" Kip gasped. Chip smiled. A lot of the Rookies were gathered around him in the gym. It was a huge room, full of training equipment. Hunters crowded the room. 

" You mean Zero actually said he wanted you in his squad?" one gasped. Chip nodded. " You are so lucky!!" the Rookie said. 

" I couldn't believe it when he said it... me! A rookie! In HIS squad! I still can't believe it!" Chip admitted. 

" It's amazing. You just recently joined the Hunters and already you're in the most elite Hunter's squad in the world! EVERYONE wants to be in it! I can't believe I'm friends with one of Zero's Hunters!" Kip said, staring in awe. " Congratulations!" Chip smiled, sheepishly. 

" What is it like to be in the team lead by Zero? What was is like to go on a special mission with him to save Mega Man X?" another Rookie asked. 

" It's a lot more harder than everyone makes it out to be! I'm surprised I even managed to survive. My back still hurts from when Vile shot me!" Chip said as he gently touched his back. He flinched. 

" That traitor Gig! How could he betray us?" a Rookie growled. 

" I never thought Gig would turn on us... never...," Kip said. " He may have been a jerk at times but I never thought THIS would happen!" Kip added. The Rookies nodded. Chip peered at Kip. 

" I'm just wondering WHEN he became Maverick! I'm worried that he could very well have been Maverick from the start!" Chip said. The Rookies around him muttered. 

" If he was, then who knows what damage he did?" Kip asked. Suddenly, the Rookies noticed the gym was in a hush. They all turned to see what could cause such mass silence. In the doorway to the gym stood Met. He swished his tail back and forth, eying those in the gym. X, Proto Man, and Zero stood behind him, watched him with keen interest. Met strolled in to the gym, smiling mockingly at those around him. X, Zero, and Proto Man followed. Chip and the Rookies watched as Met, X, Zero, and Proto Man walked through the gym to the special training room. 

" What's so special about this?" Met asked as he gazed around the huge empty room. He frowned. Zero climbed up some stairs and in to a special control tower. 

" Watch," Zero said. He pressed a few buttons and instantly, Met found himself standing in the middle of a deserted alley at night. He looked about him, slightly impressed with the equipment. " Solid holographs. Cool, huh? We can even create holographic replicas of Mavericks!" Zero said. He typed in a few buttons and a hologram of Overdrive Ostrich appeared. 

" Dr. Cain's in the process of programing holographs of the new Mavericks. Okay. Enough of this," Zero said. He pressed a few buttons and then walked out of the tower. " We're teaming up in to two teams. I'll go with Proto Man. X, you and Met will team up. The first team to capture all the members of the other team wins. Okay. Game starts in.... thirty seconds. Spread out!" Zero yelled. Met and X dashed off one way, Zero and Proto Man another. Met hopped up a building on to the roof. X followed. They ducked and hopped along the roof tops. 

" GAME BEGINS," the computer yelled. Met stiffened. He grabbed X's arm and quickly dragged him off the roof in to a window. He peeked out. Zero landed right where they had been. Met motioned for X to remain silent. X nodded. Met slowly slunk away from the window while X followed. Met suddenly opened up a door and threw X in to the room before X could say anything in protest. Met closed the door and dashed down the stairs. The sound of foot steps echoed as someone followed him down the stairs. Met ducked down a hall. A few seconds later, Proto Man walked by. Met growled. Proto Man froze. Met crouched and slunk away while Proto Man gazed around. Met didn't want to chance trying to find X with Zero and Proto Man so close. So he decided to do some capturing by himself. He leaped out the window to the next building. He jerked and gazed down in to the street. He watched as X dashed and fought with Zero. Met cursed silently to himself. His ears quickly perked up and his hair puffed up. He felt the presence of another. Met quickly leaped up the building and landed on the roof. Proto Man landed on the roof with him. Met bared his fangs at Proto Man. 

" Care to try your luck?" Met growled. Proto Man gazed, hesitantly, at Met. Then, he pounced. Met danced out of the way and kicked Proto Man in the chest. Proto Man cried out, startled. Met then tackled him. Met held Proto Man to the ground. Suddenly, Met felt a weird sensation flow through him. He gazed at Proto Man and felt an almost uncontrollable desire. The desire to kill. " This is just a game! Why...?" Met thought. Just then, thoughts of death and blood flooded through his mind. And a burning hatred. He growled menacingly. Proto Man stopped struggling and stared at Met, confused. Met's eyes flashed from red to green. He bared his fangs and uttered a low, menacing growl. 

" Met! What are you doing?" Proto Man asked, worried. Met hissed. " Met!" Proto Man cried. No response. Met narrowed his eyes and glared cruelly at Proto Man. Proto Man gasped in fear and tried to get away. Met raised a claw and sneered at Proto Man. Proto Man yelped and covered his head with his arms. Just as he was about to bring his claw down on Proto Man's head, Met froze. 

" What AM I doing?" Met hissed. He shook himself and stood up. Proto Man shyly peered up at him. Met swallowed hard. " Geez, Scarfy! Can't you take a joke?" he managed to snap. 

" Joke?" Proto Man asked. He slowly stood up. 

" You're no fun! You were cowering like a baby!" Met said. 

" I had good reason to!" Proto Man answered, accusingly. 

" Huh?" Met asked, innocently. " It was just a joke. I swear, you need to relax! You are worrying yourself over nothing! Nothing at all!" he added, though he felt incredibly nervous. Proto Man snorted. Obviously he wasn't convinced. Met felt even more uncomfortable. Then, realizing what he was doing, he bristled. Why should he care whether Proto Man believed him or not? There wasn't a thing the stupid red and silver reploid could do about it. " Whatever. YOU'RE my prisoner!" Met said as he suddenly grabbed Proto Man. Proto Man jerked away and raced off, glancing back at Met. His expression was thoughtful. Met gave chase. As he ran, Met tried to forget what had just happened. But for the rest of the day, the event continued to haunt him. 


	20. Decisions, Decisions!

Chapter 20: Decisions, Decisions! 

_Meeeeeet......., _

Hmmmm? 

_Meeeeeet....., _

Yeeeeeesss? 

_Meeeeet....., _

ENOUGH already! What do you want?? 

_You, Met. I want you, _

You want me? 

_Yes, _

That's sick, 

_Not like that, you idiot. I want you to succumb to the virus! _

That's not what you said before! 

_Will you be SERIOUS for once?? _

No. 

_Whether you care to admit it or not, you SHALL become a Maverick! _

Not if I don't feel like it! 

_You have no choice, _

Oh yeah? Well what are you going to do if I decide NOT to be a Maverick? 

_You can not make that choice. You shall become Maverick and you shall be under my control. And the very first thing you'll do is kill X and his friends. _

No way!!!! 

_Why Met! Could it be that you care about X? _

I don't care about him. I care about myself and no one else! 

_Then why are you so against killing him? _

Shut up. I do as I want and only as I want. 

_It is only a matter of time, Met.... Only a matter of time...., _

You're full of it. You're just saying that to try to intimidate me! 

_Am I? If so, is it working? _

I'm not listening any more. 

_WAKE UP!!! _

Huhhhhh? 

--- 

" WAKE UP!!" 

Met jerked to life, glancing around him. He had been laying in his bed, in the room comissioned to him. He looked for the source of the voice that had woken him up. He saw Roll walking down the hall. 

" Wake up! Wake up! Everybody wake up! Lazybones, get out of bed! Everybody wake up!" she chanted. Met yawned and stretched. He glanced at his clock. 6:30 A.M. He laughed quietly and shook his head. He laid back down and allowed his mind to drift. It didn't drift to where he would have liked. It drifted back to the dreams he had been having every night since his infection. Met had figured the dreams would go away since he was no longer infected but they just got worse. Met felt a pit form in his stomach. Could there be any truth to what was said? 

" No! It's impossible! I do as I will! I would never....," Met began. He stopped dead in his sentence when a memory flashed in his mind. One from long ago. Then, another memory appeared. The memory of his attack on X from the other night. If he hadn't of won control that last second..... Met bit his lower lip and decided it was best to get up. He got out of bed and changed in to his armor. Then, he stepped out of his room and closed the door. 

" Met!" X called. Met stopped. X came running around the corner, waving at Met. Met went stiff and turned around. He bit his lower lip, hard enough to draw a bit of blood, as he watched the little blue reploid approach. 

" What do ya want, Blueberry Head?" Met asked, using the nick name he had for X. Met smiled slightly as X scowled. 

" I was hoping you wouldn't remember what you always called me when we were younger!" X said. 

" How could I, Blueberry Head?" Met laughed. " It's my favorite name! Out of all the insults thrown at you, this one was the one that ticked you off the most! And you know how I just LIVE to tick you off!" Met added. He ripped of X's helmet and ruffled his thick wild hair. X playfully swatted at Met's hand. 

" But I'm not Mega Man anymore! I'm Mega Man X!" X pointed out. " The name's obsolete!" 

" Nu uhhh!" Met said. 

" Anyway...," X said, making it obvious that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. " I wanted to know if you wanted to play me in a video game!" X said. Met raised an eyebrow. He felt his stomach tighten. 

" Sure thing.... Blueberry Head X!" Met said. X smiled slightly. He grabbed Met's arm and pulled him down the hall. 

" Come on! It's this way!" X said. Met allowed X to lead him. He gazed at X and smiled slowly. X looked back at Met and smiled. X's attitude had undergone a definite change. Since the return of his memory and family, X didn't go in to his little stages of depression like he used to. He wasn't as cheerful as he had been when he was Mega Man. That was something he could never be again. But, at least he had more of a bounce in his step. Met smiled wider. 

" Don't expect to win, Blueberry Head X! I'm gonna blow you out of the water!" Met said. 

" Not if I get you first!" X said. They arrived at the room X had been dragging Met to. As they sat down to play the game, Met forgot all his troubles. 

--- 

" Look at them!" Roll said to Rush as they stood in the doorway to the Game Room. Roll and Rush watched as X and Met played their game. Met's ears pricked back, signaling Roll that he knew she was there. Proto Man approached Roll and Rush. He stood by Roll and watched the two with keen interest. Met especially. He had never said anything to anyone about what had happened earlier during the game, not even to Roll or X. He watched as X and Met played their game. 

" X... if only you did remember everything..... If only you did.... You don't realize it, little brother, but you don't remember anywhere near as much as you think you do!" he thought. Proto Man said nothing of this to X, allowing him his peace. Knowing that his memory was only partly returned would have greatly upset X. And, as Proto Man figured, X had other things to worry about. After a few more minutes, he turned and continued down the hall, lost in his thoughts. 

--- 

" X..... please! Answer me!" someone called. X slowly opened his eyes. Before him, was a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes. X jerked. It was the same woman from the dream he had at the Rebel Base. He leaped to his feet and gazed around. He was again in the field. The moon shown brightly in the sky. X's gaze returned to the woman. 

" Who are you?" X asked. He stepped toward the woman, who shied away from him. " Please! Don't go! Tell me who you are!" he cried out. The woman looked at him and slowly stepped forward. 

" I am the one you said you would love forever. I am the one you said would always be in your heart. Have you forgotten?" the woman whispered. X gasped. 

" I... I don't remember you! I... I... want to but I can't...," he stuttered. The woman approached him. She wrapped her arms around him and looked him in the eyes. X found that he liked the feeling. He leaned over, as if to kiss her, but she turned her head. 

" I wish we could be together again," she whispered, sadly. 

" What's keeping us apart?" X found himself asking. 

" I am locked away. Away in a dark place. Empty and alone," the woman answered, tears in her eyes. She released X and slowly walked away. X reached out to stop her. 

" Where?? Where are you locked away?? Please! I want to find you!" he cried. The woman looked at him. She began to disappear. 

" I can not say. I don't know why.... but I can't. I pray that one day I will be with you again..... I love you....," she whispered. 

" I will find you! I swear I will!" X cried. The woman smiled and slowly disappeared in to the night sky. X found himself standing alone on the field. He looked in to the night sky and swore to himself that he would find the woman. And, with her, all the answers of his life he was not allowed to know. 

--- 

_Met.... _

Not you again. 

_Are you ready to admit it, Met? _

Admit what? 

_Admit that you can not win! _

Ha. I already won. I fought off your precious little virus, 

_You may have won a battle but do you seriously believe you won the war? I shall gain control over you. You shall be a Maverick and help pave the way for a bright and wonderful future for reploid kind!! You will aid us in destroying the humans and all the reploids who protect them! You shall be one of us! _

Uh huh. And tell me when the Pope gets here, 

_Do not underestimate me, _

Go eat the contents of an airline barf bag. I am in total control of my life, 

_You almost lost control. Remember the game earlier? _

A fluke, 

_A fluke that almost killed Proto Man. Remember that night before you 'woke' up? Do you remember how good it felt when you punched X? _

No. I don't, 

_Remember the sensation of pure thrill as you ripped at his body, causing his life blood to spill? _

Shut up, 

_Remember how sweet his blood tasted? _

Shut up!!! 

_Remember the pleasure you felt when you heard X scream in pain and beg you to stop? _

I SAID SHUT UP!!!! 

_Face it. You will eventually kill them all. Every minute you are around them, you are a threat to their existence! _

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! 

--- 

X snored slightly as he lay sleeping on the couch in the Game Room. Met, in wolf form, lay curled up on the floor. His troubled eyes watched X sleep. After a few minutes of silence, Met glanced at the digital clock on the wall. He sighed and stood up. He transformed back in to reploid form and walked over to X. Met gazed at the sleeping reploid. 

" I have made my decision....," he said quietly. He gently touched X's cheek. " You were my greatest friend. Even if I'm too stubborn to admit it to you. I won't forget you," he said. " Blueberry Head X...," he whispered. Then, he turned. He slowly walked to the window. He turned and looked at X again. Then, he opened the window and leaped out. He quickly grabbed the side of the wall and gently slid down. When he was down a ways, he leaped over and landed on the roof of a neighboring building. He turned and looked at the Headquarters. He felt a lump in his throat. He felt alone. All the way back to the time of his creation, he had always been independent. Refusing help from anyone. Originally, he had enjoyed being alone. But now he realized he had NEVER been alone. He had always had somewhere to go, someone to hang around with, when he needed to. Met felt his stomach tighten. He was tempted to just go back inside. But he quickly put an end to THAT thought. " I can't. I won't let it happen again. I won't let it. I won't endanger all their lives. I won't endanger X's life like I did long ago. It won't happen again," Met said, sternly. With that, he turned and walked in to the shadows. He didn't look back. And if he had his way, he never would again. 


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue 

Deep within the dark corridors of the labyrinth beneath the ruins above, he walked. Covered in darkness, he moved like a shadow. Silently and with a purpose. He walked in to a single large room, filled with large capsules. Alerted, another creature rose from out of a corner. Upon seeing him, it instantly recognized him and banished all thoughts of attack from it's mind. It returned to it's station and watched, eyes glowing with interest. He ignored the creature and gazed at the capsules. Only one was open. He completely by-passed this one and searched the others. He peeked in, searching for someone. He searched and searched and, when he was almost certain he would never find the one he searched for, he found the capsule. In the capsule on the far end of the row, there was a lonely reploid. He leaned over and wiped away some of the fog from the window with a dark hand. Inside, the reploid slept peacefully, oblivious to everyone and everything. A small smile broke on his face as he gazed at the sleeping reploid. He leaned over and pressed a few buttons. The capsule swung open, hissing in protest. The reploid made no movement, unwilling to awake. The creature slunk up to the capsule and pressed a cold nose against the reploid's hand. The reploid moved, slightly. He smiled and stepped back, making room for the awakening reploid. The reploid moaned, eyes slowly opening. The creature whimpered, pleadingly, when the reploid did not awake quickly enough. The reploid stepped out, groggily. She stood before him, her jeans wrinkled and her red shirt a bit faded. She looked up at him, her blue eyes dazed and still full of sleep. He smiled and leaned over, brushing away a lock of her brown hair that drooped over her face. 

" You are awake! How do you feel?" he said. She did not reply. She gazed about her, totally oblivious to the whimpering creature at her side and him before her. She called out a single name, her voice slightly breaking. 

" M.... Mega Man?" 

End 


End file.
